Oldest Fossil of Headbutting Dinosaur Discovered in Japan

Sep 19, 2025 | News On Japan

TOKYO - Okayama, Sep 19, 2025 (News On Japan) - A research group including Okayama University of Science announced in the British scientific journal Nature on September 17th that they have discovered the world’s oldest fossil of a pachycephalosaur, a dinosaur recognized for its thick, dome-shaped skull and often called the “headbutting dinosaur.”

The rare find, which preserves the entire skeleton, has been identified as a new species.

The discovery demonstrates that the distinctive dome-shaped head appeared earlier in the evolutionary timeline than previously thought, providing new insight into the process of dinosaur evolution.

“This is an incredible find,” one researcher remarked during the announcement. “Until now, we assumed only partial skulls would be discovered, but here we have an entire skeleton. Our team has been conducting excavations targeting older geological layers in recent years, and with continued exploration, we hope to uncover even earlier dome-headed dinosaurs to deepen our understanding of their evolutionary path.”

Source: Kyodo

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