Vulcanodon

volcano tooth

• Vulcan(o) · Latin · Vulcan, the Roman god of fire, hence volcano
• odon · Greek · tooth

The name means "volcano tooth". The fossils were found in sediments lying between ancient lava flows in Zimbabwe, which gave the "volcano" part. The "tooth" part is because teeth found near the skeleton were first thought to be its own. They were later shown to belong to a theropod that had scavenged the carcass.

Named by

Raath

Year named

1972

Period

Early Jurassic

Found in

Near Lake Kariba, Matabeleland North/Mashonaland West region, Zimbabwe

An early sauropod (or close sauropod relative). The type species is Vulcanodon karibaensis. The exact stage of its rocks is uncertain, so none is given here. The location is given only approximately.