Genus · Dromaeosauridae · Cretaceous

Saurornitholestes

Named by Sues 1978

Saurornitholestes lived 83.6–66 million years ago, during the Campanian to Maastrichtian stages of the Late Cretaceous. The Paleobiology Database lists 148 fossil records for it from 5 countries (Canada, United States and Romania and others) — the 2nd most of the 99 genera on this site.

Where it sits in time

Key facts from the records

Its records are spread over at least 10 formations; the largest share, 31%, is from the Dinosaur Park Formation.
It is one of the more widespread genera here: records from 5 countries, 8th of 99.
Troodon appears in 36% of the collections that hold Saurornitholestes; Dromaeosaurus in 21%.
Its stage range spans about 17.6 million years (15th longest of 99); it is the best-recorded of the 32 theropods here.

2 accepted species

Species	Named by	Records
Saurornitholestes langstoni	Sues 1978	78
Saurornitholestes sullivani	Jasinski 2015	1

Where it was found

148 records with coordinates.

Found alongside

Rock formations

States & provinces

Region	Records	Share
Alberta	80	54%
Texas	19	13%
Wyoming	15	10%
Montana	13	9%
North Dakota	9	6%
New Mexico	3	2%
South Carolina	2	1%
Hunedoara	1	1%

Country	Records	Share
Canada	81	55%
United States	64	43%
Romania	1	1%
Russia	1	1%
France	1	1%

Records by stage

Well-dated records, by the stage of their mid-point age.

Campanian112
Maastrichtian35

Depositional settings

Crevasse splay26
Channel25
Channel lag23
Floodplain6
Estuary/bay5
Fine channel fill4

Other theropods of its time

Same group, overlapping stage range, not found in the same collections.

Genus	Age	Country	Records
Tarbosaurus	72.1–66 Ma	Mongolia, China	56
Albertosaurus	83.6–66 Ma	Canada, United States	32
Gallimimus	72.1–66 Ma	Mongolia, Uzbekistan	30
Masiakasaurus	72.1–66 Ma	Madagascar	29
Chirostenotes	83.6–66 Ma	United States, Canada	28
Majungasaurus	72.1–66 Ma	Madagascar	25
Gorgosaurus	83.6–72.1 Ma	Canada, United States	20
Velociraptor	83.6–72.1 Ma	Mongolia, China	20

Also from these formations