Troodon Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, 75–65 mya | |
---|---|
Illustration of the T. formosus holotype tooth | |
Scientific classification | |
Unrecognized taxon (fix): | Troodon |
Type species | |
†Troodon formosus Leidy, 1856 |
Troodon (or Troödon) is a genus of relatively small, bird-like dinosaurs, from the later part of the Cretaceous period, 75 - 65 million years ago. The alternate spelling Troödon shows that the 'o's are pronounced separately, as in 'zoology'.
They were probably carnivorous, but details of their teeth are a bit unusual. Some experts suggest they may have included plant material in their diet, but this is not a majority view.
Discovered in central Montana in 1855, it was among the first dinosaurs found in North America. Its species ranged widely, with fossil remains recovered from as far north as Alaska, and the Judith River formation of Alberta, and as far south as Wyoming and even possibly Texas and New Mexico.