Mochlodon

Mochlodon was an early, small member of the rhabdodontid family, living during the Late Cretaceous epoch roughly 86 to 83 million years ago on islands that formed central Europe. First unearthed from coal deposits near Muthmannsdorf in Austria, additional well-preserved material has since been found in Hungary. With an estimated length of only one and a half to two metres and weighing about 30 kilograms, it was comparable in size to a large dog. Mochlodon walked on two strong legs and possessed broad, spade-like teeth designed to shear through tough scrub plants. Like its later relatives, its small stature reflects life in restricted island environments across the ancient Tethys Sea.

It was discovered inside an Austrian coal mine in the nineteenth century.

Where and when

Mochlodon lived in the Late Cretaceous, from 86 to 83 million years ago (Santonian age). Its remains come from Austria and Hungary, in the Gosau Group.

The numbers

Length 1.8 m (estimates run from 1.5 to 2 m). Mass about 28 kg. Hip height about 0.6 m. That is 1.1 human-lengths, or 0.16 of a double-decker bus. These are estimates from partial skeleton; fields marked estimated by the site are length, mass, first ma, last ma, hip height.

Compare Mochlodon with a bus Place on the timeline