Megalosaurus

Megalosaurus is a genus of very large, carnivorous dinosaurs that lived during the middle Jurassic period. Although equipped to hunt down prey, megalosaurs are believed to have primarily scavenged for food. It was the first dinosaur to be classified based on fossilized remains.

Fast Facts

1. Name means: "Great Lizard"
2. Discovered: 1676 in England
3. First scientifically categorized by William Buckland in 1822¹
4. Diet: Carnivore
5. Estimated length: 9 meters
6. Original skeletal reconstruction estimated 12 meters in length²
7. Time period: 181-169 million years ago
8. Fossil specimens found in northwestern Europe

Classification

• Order: Saurischia
• Suborder: Theropodia
• Family: Megalosauridae
• Genus: Megalosaurus

Scientific Treatment

Megalosaurus fossils were first found in an English quarry in 1676, but not officially examined until 1822. The remains were incomplete, including only vertebrae, hip, leg, lower jaw, and teeth from the dinosaur.³

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