Species
Iguanodon mantelli
Iguanodon mantelliAlso known as Mantell's Iguanodon
These massive, bipedal-to-quadrupedal herbivores roamed prehistoric European floodplains, stripping tough vegetation with horse-like horny beaks and grinding cheek teeth. Their forelimbs featured weight-bearing central digits alongside a conical, bony thumb spike likely wielded to fend off predatory theropods. Fossil trackways indicate they moved in organized herds, browsing across vast river valleys during the Early Cretaceous.
PrehistoricHerbivorous
—observations
—countries
—peak records
ExtinctConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXExtinctRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyFerns, Horsetails, Cycads
Predators
- Neovenator
- Baryonyx
- Eotyrannus
ThreatsTheropod predation, environmental changes, and disease
HabitatsCretaceous floodplains, river deltas, and fern-dominated woodlands
Life spanEstimated 20–30 years
Classification
- FamilyIguanodontidae
- SpeciesIguanodon mantelli
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Extinct prehistoric species known only from fossils; poses no modern risk.
Responsible observation
- Museum observation: Study mounted fossil skeletons to observe the unique conical thumb spikes.
- Fossil etiquette: Report any suspected fossil discoveries to certified paleontologists without excavating.
Predator ケラトプスユウタ / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
Contemporary (c) Ghedoghedo, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Contemporary MWAK / Public domain · cc0
Close Relative bryan... from Taipei, Taiwan / CC BY-SA 2.0 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative Ben2 / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
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