London Fossils and Crystals

Shop
All Products > London Fossils and Crystals > Fossils > Reptiles - Dinosaurs > Iguanodon
Search Your Cart

Iguanodon

Iguanodon is one of the world’s best known dinosaurs from the Early Cretaceous. It was a large plant eater. Able to walk on it’s two hind legs as well as on all fours. With it’s tough beak it cropped vegetation which it’s tongue would then push into it’s cheek pouches. Long, sharp teeth chewed on the plants, crushing and grinding them until they could be swallowed.

Iguanodon was the second dinosaur ever to be named. In 1822, Dr Gideon Mantell and wife, Mary Ann Mantell, were visiting a patient near the small town of Cuckfield, Sussex, in England. While Dr Mantell was treating his patient, Mary Ann went for a walk. In a pile of stones used for road repairs, she saw a fossil tooth. The Mantells knew a lot about fossils, but neither of them had ever seen such a tooth before. They found that it had been dug up at a nearby quarry, from where they were able to find more teeth belonging to the mysterious creature.

While visiting the Royal College of Surgeons, London, Dr Mantell was shown the tooth from a present-day Iguana. It was similar to the fossil tooth found by his wife, expect that it was much smaller. In 1825, Dr Mantell named the ancient creature Iguanodon, meaning "Iguana tooth”