Craspedodon

Craspedodon is an extinct genus of dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period. The only known species, Craspedodon lonzeensis, was discovered in the Lonzée Member of Belgium. The genus name, meaning 'edge tooth,' reflects the distinctive ridged structure of its teeth.

Discovery and Classification

Initially described by Belgian paleontologist Louis Dollo in 1883, Craspedodon was identified from three teeth. Dollo classified it as a new genus of herbivorous dinosaur, placing it among the ornithischians and noting similarities to Iguanodon. However, more recent scientific investigations have challenged this classification. In 2007, paleontologists Pascal Godefroit and Olivier Lambert re-examined the teeth and suggested that Craspedodon might represent one of the earliest known European examples of Neoceratopsia, a group that includes horned dinosaurs.

Despite this reinterpretation, the precise taxonomic placement of Craspedodon remains uncertain. Some researchers have proposed that the teeth could also belong to a hadrosauroid ornithopod. Due to the limited fossil evidence, consisting solely of these three teeth, Craspedodon is often considered a nomen dubium or a taxon whose diagnostic features are poorly understood, making definitive classification difficult.