Abstract The Vegagete ornithopod is a diminutive bipedal iguanodont from the upper Barremian to lower Aptian (Lower Cretaceous) Castrillo de la Reina Formation of the Burgos Province (Spain). This dinosaur is principally known from disarticulated and fragmentary postcranial remains and was established as the earliest rhabdodontomorph. However, the nature of this material did not allow formal diagnosis of what still appeared to be a new taxon due to its particularly small body size. Recently, new cranial elements have been identified. These elements underwent micro‐computed tomography scanning, segmentation and three‐dimensional assembly. We herein name the Vegagete ornithopod Foskeia pelendonum gen. et sp. nov. It is diagnosed by a high number of unique features such as the possession of fused premaxillae, procumbent premaxillary teeth, one filiform first dentary tooth, and an elevated craniomandibular joint. Simultaneously, we observe a unique ventrolateral extension of the insertion of the muscle adductor mandibulae externus superficialis on the coronoid process of the dentary. Answering a number of phylogenetic controversies, we provide an updated, taxonomically augmented ornithischian phylogeny toward poorly sampled regions of the ornithischian tree. Rhabdodontia nov. is defined as a restricted clade of European rhabdodontomorphs, including F. pelendonum and rhabdodontids. Rhabdodontomorpha is nested to the base of Ankylopollexia. Thescelosauridae includes Tenontosaurus , and Dryosauridae includes Elasmaria. Agilisaurus louderbacki and Minimocursor phunoiensis are basal ornithopods. Heterodontosauridae remains at the base of Pachycephalosauria. Silesauridae and Sauropodomorpha are resolved in a position closer to Ornithischia than to Theropoda. This provisional result is pending the inclusion of more saurischian characters and taxa.