Learn All About The Discovery Of The Incredible Iguanodon Fossil

The story behind the discovery of an Iguanodon fossil is as interesting as the facts about dinosaurs.

Iguanodons were herbivorous dinosaurs, dating back to the Cretaceous period. They might have become extinct millions of 'years ago but the cool facts about these dinosaurs keep them alive in the history of natural science.

Megalosaurus might have been the first dinosaur to be discovered, but the discovery of iguanodon fossils helped scientists recreate a clearer picture of what dinosaurs would have looked like. Dinosaurs of the genus iguanodon walked the Earth's surface nearly 126 million 'years ago.

These were among the largest herbivores, meaning that they fed only on plants. They were also known to be ornithopods, meaning that they could run and walk predominantly on two legs. This also means that they had disproportionately sized limbs.

The first assumption was that this one looked like an iguana, and so the first discovered bone led to the name iguanodon meaning 'iguana tooth'. This was mainly due to the fossilized teeth discovered by geologist and paleontologist Dr. Gideon Mantell.

After studying iguanodon teeth and comparing the bones discovered later, they were found to be thumb spikes and not teeth.

This also led to the understanding that they were able to forage for food and also protect themselves from predators with the help of their large thumbs. Today a lot is known about this large herbivore.

You might have also seen it featured in books and movies. But it is how the discovery in parts led to the different interpretations of the animal’s behavior and physical traits that makes it all the more interesting to learn about.

Once you learn all about this interesting species that walked the earth, why not check out other interesting articles on dinosaur fossils facts and amber fossils facts here at Kidadl.

The Bernissart Iguanodons

When a huge pile of dinosaur bone fossils was found in a single area in Bernissart, naturalists around the world were intrigued. This is why the Bernissart iguanodon discovery of 1878 is one of the most important incidents.

Back in the 19th-century, dinosaurs were still being studied without much clarity on their anatomy. The discovery of a huge collection of dinosaur bones was made in a mine in Bernissart.

An accidental discovery of complete skeletons of dinosaurs led to the breaking of many myths. The assumption of dinosaur anatomy that existed for a long period was shaken. This was also the time when major reconstructions of dinosaur skeletons were possible for museum display.

One interesting fact about excavations in this area is that all the bones collected belonged to adult iguanodons. This led to scientists believing that this was not a natural and gradual death, but a sudden extinction event that caused these animals to perish in that particular area.

There were also numerous speculations about possible causes of the death of this ornithischian dinosaur, Iguanodon bernissartensis. Some thought it was due to a gas leak from the marshy area, but according to other speculations, drowning was the cause assumed.

Most of these assumptions were also based on the fact that there were thousands of fossilized fish found in an area not far from the Bernissart collection of iguanodon bones.

Earthquakes in the mine area and the collapse of a previously built collection interrupted the complete excavation of bones in this area. Only partial skeleton excavations were made, and based on this, it is likely that there were huge piles of bones in the area that went undiscovered.

Environment And Adaptation

Since the discovery made by Mantell, several skeletal remains of this animal have been found in the USA, Europe, North Africa, and even coastal areas around Atherfield Point.

Iguanodons are said to have lived in the late Jurassic era which is around 125 million years ago. This period is also referred to as the lower Cretaceous period.

The environment back then is believed to have been predominantly marshy, with relatively higher humidity levels than in the past and also higher sea levels. But these creatures are believed to have been excellent at adapting to the changing environment millions of 'years ago. This explains why they managed to survive much longer than most identified dinosaur genera.

Most of the above-mentioned assumptions about the Iguanodon era environment are based on the valuable research of the Geological Society of London, known for its contributions to the Ornithischia order of animals, and Iguanodon belonged to the Ornithischia order. This was the order of larger species of herbivores.

When it comes to adaptations, Cretaceous research indicates that most animals during these times were quadrupeds. But, unlike reptiles of the earliest ages, some of the large herbivore species like the iguanodons were also believed to have been ornithopod dinosaurs.

Some studies also assumed that an adult iguanodon possibly used its long tail as a third leg, especially while these animals fed on high branches, but these assumptions were later shelved.

The Iguanodon Timeline

It is believed to have lived on Earth 126–113 million years ago. Considering the timeline of other dinosaurs, these are known to be some of the longest surviving dinosaur geniuses.

From thumb spike for defense and better food foraging to the ability to survive in a diverse range of habitats, several traits of the iguanodon are attributed to the high survival rate of this reptile in the past.

In terms of the discovery timeline, the discovery of iguanodon teeth happened in 1822, followed by massive excavations in 1878, both of which changed what paleontologists thought about dinosaur anatomy.

Fossil Iguanodon Tooth

In 1822, Dr. Gideon Mantell and his wife are said to have stumbled upon what they first thought were huge teeth, with an anatomy somewhat similar to that of an iguana. And hence, the nickname 'iguana tooth' or 'Iguanodon was given to it by Mantell.

A few years later, William Harding of Maidstone, Kent, found fragments of what looked like aged wood in his quarry. This was nicknamed the 'Maidstone specimen'. Upon careful excavation, he noticed rib fragments, limb bones, and other bone specimens that were crucial to the recreation of dinosaur anatomy, in particular iguanodon anatomy.

Harding called upon Mantell to examine the discovered fossils. Based on the shape of the bones from the Maidstone slab and its comparison with modern reptile species, Mantell helped reimagine the structure of a dinosaur skeleton.

These bones, along with the iguanodon teeth that Mantell had discovered, led him to believe that iguanodon had a horn near its nose, similar to a rhinoceros.

The actual understanding that the piece discovered by Mantell was not a tooth but a thumb spike came in the year 1878 with the Bernissart Iguanodon skeleton collection, as this was when complete skeletons were found and the reptile’s anatomy was studied all over again.

Discovery And History

The discovery made by Mantell has a special place in history as Iguanodon was among the first three dinosaurs to be ever identified and studied in depth.

From the site where the bones were collected in Bernissart, it is believed that nearly 30 iguanodon dinosaurs died in the same region.

The discovery of this animal genus has helped naturalists better understand the ecology of the Jurassic period. The first significant discovery of dinosaur fossils came in 1819 when Megalosaurus bones were found. One of the important historic discoveries is the iguanodon teeth collection that Mantell stumbled upon.

Classification And Evolution

With a better understanding of the anatomy, this iguana-tooth dinosaur was placed in the Chordata Phylum and Ornithischia order. Some genera are close relatives of Iguanodon with similar short front legs.

The Libernissartensis species was originally assigned to the Iguanodon genus. However, several other new species were reassigned to the Iguanodon genus based on later discoveries.

A few of them were foxii, gracilis, and valdensis. Some were also reassigned from this genus to others. As of today, only two species are considered to be officially from the iguanodon genus: galvensis and bernissartensis.

Next time you get to visit a museum, do look out for the differences in the anatomy of the different types of dinosaur skeleton on display. Most of the excavated iguanodon fossils, including the teeth from the collection preserved by Gideon Mantell, are now preserved in the Royal Museum of Natural History, Belgium.

While you will find some of these reconstructed skeletons on display in the museum, some remnants are safely tucked away in the museum basement.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for iguanodon fossils then why not take a look at index fossil fun facts or how are petrified fossils formed.