Dakotadon
| Dakotadon Temporal range: Early Cretaceous,
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|---|---|
| Front part of the holotype skull | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | †Ornithischia |
| Clade: | †Ornithopoda |
| Clade: | †Ankylopollexia |
| Clade: | †Styracosterna |
| Genus: | †Dakotadon Paul, 2008 |
| Species: | †D. lakotaensis
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| Binomial name | |
| †Dakotadon lakotaensis | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Dakotadon (meaning "Dakota tooth") is a genus of iguanodont dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous (Valanginian to Barremian) Lakota Formation of South Dakota, USA, known from a partial skull. It was first described in 1989 as Iguanodon lakotaensis, by David B. Weishampel and Philip R. Bjork. Its assignment has been controversial. Some researchers suggested that "I." lakotaensis was more basal than I. bernissartensis, and related to Theiophytalia, but David Norman has suggested that it was a synonym of I. bernissartensis. Gregory S. Paul, working on a revision of iguanodont species, gave "I." lakotaensis its own genus, Dakotadon, in 2008. He measured its length at 6 metres (20 ft) and body mass at 1 metric ton (1.1 short tons).