List of lost dinosaur specimens

This list of lost, damaged, or destroyed dinosaur specimens enumerates those fossil dinosaur specimens that have been discovered only to be lost or damaged after initial documentation. Some of these specimens which had gone missing were later recovered as well.

Uncollected specimens

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Nickname ! Taxon ! Age ! Unit ! Country ! Notes ! Images
Nose Mountain theropod track \| Tyrannosauridae \| Maastrichtian \| Wapiti Formation \| Canada \| Single highly pathological tyrannosaur footprint that was buried under a landslide before it could be collected \|

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Nickname

! Taxon

! Age

! Unit

! Country

! Notes

! Images

Nose Mountain theropod track

Single highly pathological tyrannosaur footprint that was buried under a landslide before it could be collected

Destroyed specimens

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Nickname ! Catalogue Number ! Institution ! Taxon ! Age ! Unit ! Country ! Notes ! Images
\|1912VIII61 \| \| AegyptosaurusHoltz, Thomas R. Jr. (2008) Dinosaurs: The Most Complete, Up-to-Date Encyclopedia for Dinosaur Lovers of All Ages [http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/dinoappendix/DinoappendixSummer2008.pdf Supplementary Information] \| Upper Cretaceous \| Bahariya Formation \| Egypt \| Destroyed in Germany during World War II when the bombing of the museum it was held in took place. \|File:Aegyptosaurus-holotype.jpg
\| IPHG 1922 X 47, X 48 \| \| BahariasaurusRauhut, (1995). "Zur systematischen Stellung der afrikanischen Theropoden Carcharodontosaurus Stromer 1931 und Bahariasaurus Stromer 1934." Berliner geowissenschaftliche Abhandlungen, E16 (Gundolf-Ernst-Festschrift): 357-375. \| Upper Cretaceous \| Bahariya Formation \| Egypt \| Destroyed in World War II \| File:Bahariasaurus vertebra.png
\| IPHG 1922 X46 \| \| Tameryraptor{{Cite journal \|last1=Kellermann \|first1=Maximilian \|last2=Cuesta \|first2=Elena \|last3=Rauhut \|first3=Oliver W. M. \|date=2025-01-14 \|title=Re-evaluation of the Bahariya Formation carcharodontosaurid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) and its implications for allosauroid phylogeny \|journal=PLOS ONE \|language=en \|volume=20 \|issue=1 \|pages=e0311096 \|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0311096 \|doi-access=free \|pmid=39808629 \|issn=1932-6203\|pmc=11731741 }} \| Upper Cretaceous \| \| Egypt \| Destroyed in World War II. Used by Ernst Stromer to erect Carcharodontosaurus for "Megalosaurus" saharicus.Stromer, 1931. Ergebnisse der Forschungsreisen Prof. E. Stromers in den Wüsten Ägyptens. II. Wirbeltier-Reste der Baharîjestufe (unterstes Cenoman). 10. Ein Skelett-Rest von Carcharodontosaurus nov. gen. Abhandlungen der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften Mathematisch-naturwissenschaftliche Abteilung, Neue Folge. 9, 1-23 \| File:Carcharodontosaurus saharicus skull diagram.jpg
\|MNHN 2001-4 \| \| Erectopus \| Lower Cretaceous \| \| France \| Destroyed in World War II \| File:Megalosaurus superbus Sauvage.png
\| \| \| Kentrosaurus \| Upper Jurassic \| \| Tanzania \| Most specimens, although not all, were destroyed when the German museum that they were in was bombed in World War II. \|
\| \| \| Podokesaurus \| Lower Jurassic \| \| United States \| The original specimen was destroyed in a museum fire. \| File:Podokesaurus holotype.jpg
\| \| \| Poekilopleuron \| Middle Jurassic \| \| France \| Destroyed in World War II \| File:Poekilopleuron bucklandi.JPG]]
\| BSP 1912 VIII 19 \| \| Spinosaurus \| Lower and Upper Cretaceous \| Bahariya Formation \| Egypt \| Destroyed in Germany during World War II when the bombing of the museum it was held in took place. More material has been discovered since. \| File:Spinosaurus_holotype.jpg

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Nickname

! Catalogue Number

! Institution

! Taxon

! Age

! Unit

! Country

! Notes

! Images

|1912VIII61

AegyptosaurusHoltz, Thomas R. Jr. (2008) Dinosaurs: The Most Complete, Up-to-Date Encyclopedia for Dinosaur Lovers of All Ages [http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/dinoappendix/DinoappendixSummer2008.pdf Supplementary Information]

Upper Cretaceous

Bahariya Formation

Egypt

Destroyed in Germany during World War II when the bombing of the museum it was held in took place.

|File:Aegyptosaurus-holotype.jpg

IPHG 1922 X 47, X 48

BahariasaurusRauhut, (1995). "Zur systematischen Stellung der afrikanischen Theropoden Carcharodontosaurus Stromer 1931 und Bahariasaurus Stromer 1934." Berliner geowissenschaftliche Abhandlungen, E16 (Gundolf-Ernst-Festschrift): 357-375.

Upper Cretaceous

Bahariya Formation

Egypt

Destroyed in World War II

File:Bahariasaurus vertebra.png

IPHG 1922 X46

Tameryraptor{{Cite journal |last1=Kellermann |first1=Maximilian |last2=Cuesta |first2=Elena |last3=Rauhut |first3=Oliver W. M. |date=2025-01-14 |title=Re-evaluation of the Bahariya Formation carcharodontosaurid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) and its implications for allosauroid phylogeny |journal=PLOS ONE |language=en |volume=20 |issue=1 |pages=e0311096 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0311096 |doi-access=free |pmid=39808629 |issn=1932-6203|pmc=11731741 }}

Upper Cretaceous

Egypt

Destroyed in World War II. Used by Ernst Stromer to erect Carcharodontosaurus for "Megalosaurus" saharicus.Stromer, 1931. Ergebnisse der Forschungsreisen Prof. E. Stromers in den Wüsten Ägyptens. II. Wirbeltier-Reste der Baharîjestufe (unterstes Cenoman). 10. Ein Skelett-Rest von Carcharodontosaurus nov. gen. Abhandlungen der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften Mathematisch-naturwissenschaftliche Abteilung, Neue Folge. 9, 1-23

File:Carcharodontosaurus saharicus skull diagram.jpg

|MNHN 2001-4

Erectopus

Lower Cretaceous

France

Destroyed in World War II

File:Megalosaurus superbus Sauvage.png

Kentrosaurus

Upper Jurassic

Tanzania

Most specimens, although not all, were destroyed when the German museum that they were in was bombed in World War II.

Podokesaurus

Lower Jurassic

United States

The original specimen was destroyed in a museum fire.

File:Podokesaurus holotype.jpg

Poekilopleuron

Middle Jurassic

France

Destroyed in World War II

File:Poekilopleuron bucklandi.JPG]]

BSP 1912 VIII 19

Spinosaurus

Lower and Upper Cretaceous

Bahariya Formation

Egypt

Destroyed in Germany during World War II when the bombing of the museum it was held in took place. More material has been discovered since.

File:Spinosaurus_holotype.jpg

Lost specimens

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Nickname ! Catalogue Number ! Institution ! Taxon ! Age ! Unit ! Country ! Notes ! Images
Specimen 9 \| None \| \| Corythosaurus \| \| \| Canada \| \| File:Hunting dinosaurs in the bad lands of the Red Deer River, Alberta, Canada; a sequel to The life of a fossil hunter (1917) (20135543774).jpg
Specimen 13 \| None \| \| Corythosaurus \| \| \| Canada \| \|
Cardiodon type specimen \| \| \| Cardiodon \| Middle Jurassic \| Forest Marble Formation \| United Kingdom \| \| File:Cardiodon.jpg
Type specimen of Amphicoelias fragillimus \| AMNH 5777 \| American Museum of Natural History \| Amphicoelias fragillimus \| Late Jurassic \| Morrison Formation \| United States \| Named as the holotype of Amphicoelias fragillimus by Edward Drinker Cope and then subsequently lost. It is possible that Cope himself or someone else disposed of it, or that it crumbled because of inadequate preservation methods. \| File:Maraapunisaurus fragillimus holotype illustration.png
Companion tracks of MGUH 27219 \| N/A \| Geological Museum of Copenhagen \| Thyreophora \| Rhaetian \| Hoganas Formation \| Sweden \| \| File:Dinosaur track from Sweden.jpg

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Nickname

! Catalogue Number

! Institution

! Taxon

! Age

! Unit

! Country

! Notes

! Images

Specimen 9

None

Corythosaurus

Canada

File:Hunting dinosaurs in the bad lands of the Red Deer River, Alberta, Canada; a sequel to The life of a fossil hunter (1917) (20135543774).jpg

Specimen 13

None

Corythosaurus

Canada

Cardiodon type specimen

Cardiodon

Middle Jurassic

Forest Marble Formation

United Kingdom

File:Cardiodon.jpg

Type specimen of Amphicoelias fragillimus

AMNH 5777

American Museum of Natural History

Amphicoelias fragillimus

Late Jurassic

Morrison Formation

United States

Named as the holotype of Amphicoelias fragillimus by Edward Drinker Cope and then subsequently lost. It is possible that Cope himself or someone else disposed of it, or that it crumbled because of inadequate preservation methods.

File:Maraapunisaurus fragillimus holotype illustration.png

Companion tracks of MGUH 27219

N/A

Geological Museum of Copenhagen

Thyreophora

Rhaetian

Hoganas Formation

Sweden

File:Dinosaur track from Sweden.jpg

Damaged specimens

Recovered specimens

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Nickname ! Catalogue Number ! Institution ! Taxon ! Age ! Unit ! Country ! Notes ! Images
Holotype of Aepisaurus elephantinus \| \| \| Aepisaurus \| Middle Cretaceous (Albian) \| \| {{Flag\|France}} \| Named as holotype of Aepisaurus elephantinus. Rediscovered in 2006Tortosa T, Buffetaut E. 2007. Rediscovery and redescription of the holotype of Aepysaurus elephantinus Gervais 1848–1852 (Dino-sauria-Sauropoda). In : J Le Loeuff, ed. 5th Meeting of the European Association of Vertebrate Palaeontologists, 12th European Workshop of Vertebrate Palaeontology, Carcassonne-Espéraza, May 15–19, 2007, Abstract volume, 64 (PDF) New historical data on the first dinosaurs found in France. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323538475_New_historical_data_on_the_first_dinosaurs_found_in_France [accessed Sep 03 2018]. \| File:Aepisaurus.JPG

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Nickname

! Catalogue Number

! Institution

! Taxon

! Age

! Unit

! Country

! Notes

! Images

Holotype of Aepisaurus elephantinus

Aepisaurus

Middle Cretaceous (Albian)

Named as holotype of Aepisaurus elephantinus. Rediscovered in 2006Tortosa T, Buffetaut E. 2007. Rediscovery and redescription of the holotype of Aepysaurus elephantinus Gervais 1848–1852 (Dino-sauria-Sauropoda). In : J Le Loeuff, ed. 5th Meeting of the European Association of Vertebrate Palaeontologists, 12th European Workshop of Vertebrate Palaeontology, Carcassonne-Espéraza, May 15–19, 2007, Abstract volume, 64 (PDF) New historical data on the first dinosaurs found in France. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323538475_New_historical_data_on_the_first_dinosaurs_found_in_France [accessed Sep 03 2018].

File:Aepisaurus.JPG

Footnotes

{{Reflist|30em|refs=

Carpenter, K. (2006); in passim.

Spalding (2001); "The Lost Specimens," page 499.

}}

References

Carpenter, K. (2006). "Biggest of the big: a critical re-evaluation of the mega-sauropod Amphicoelias fragillimus." In Foster, J.R. and Lucas, S.G., eds., 2006, Paleontology and Geology of the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 36: 131–138.
Spalding, D. A., 2001, Bones of contention: Charles H. Sternberg's lost world: In: Mesozoic Vertebrate Life, edited by Tanke, D. H., and Carpenter, K., Indiana University Press, pp. 481–503.

Category:Lists of dinosaur specimens

Category:Taxa with lost type specimens