Neosodon (New Tooth)

Basic facts

  • Late Jurassic

  • France

  • Herbivore

Neosodon, which translates to "new tooth," is a sauropod dinosaur genus originating from the Late Tithonian period, within the Upper Jurassic Sables et Gres a Trigonia gibbosa, situated in the Pas-de-Calais department of France. Strikingly, this genus has never officially received a species name, although it's frequently associated with N. praecursor, a different dinosaur altogether. Historically, Neosodon had been placed within the broad category of Pelorosaurus, a sort of catch-all grouping. However, upon reevaluation, it appears to have potential links with Turiasaurus, a giant Spanish sauropod dating from approximately the same period.

Neosodon is known solely from six teeth. Given this limited evidence and the fact that it is based solely on dental remains, the classification of Neosodon remains a subject of uncertainty in paleontology. Initially, Neosodon was suggested to be a theropod, akin to Megalosaurus, then considered synonymous with Iguanodon. It was later identified as a sauropod, possibly belonging to the brachiosaurid group, similar to Brachiosaurus. However, a 2006 examination of Turiasaurus prompted researchers to observe resemblances between the teeth of Neosodon and Turiasaurus, raising the possibility that Neosodon may have been a turiasauran titanosaur, further complicating its classification.