Baryonyx vs Compsognathus
A detailed side-by-side comparison of Baryonyx and Compsognathus, covering size, diet, classification, geologic period, and discovery history.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Property | Baryonyx | Compsognathus |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Baryonyx walkeri | Compsognathus longipes |
| Classification | Spinosauridae | Theropoda |
| Period | Cretaceous Early | Jurassic Late |
| Diet | Piscivore | Carnivore |
| Length | 7.5 m | 1.0 m |
| Height | 2.5 m | 0.3 m |
| Weight | 1.7 t | 3 kg |
| Discovery Year | 1983 | 1859 |
| Discovery Location | Surrey, England | Riedenburg, Bavaria, Germany |
| Named By | Alan Charig & Angela Milner | Johann A. Wagner |
Size Comparison
roughly the length of a large SUV
smaller than a human child
Weight Comparison
comparable to 1.7 small cars
lighter than a human adult
Timeline Comparison
Diet Comparison
Baryonyx
PiscivoreBaryonyx was a fish-eater, specialized in catching aquatic prey.
Compsognathus
CarnivoreCompsognathus was a meat-eating predator, hunting other animals for food.
Classification Comparison
Baryonyx
Compsognathus
Did You Know?
Baryonyx was about 7.5x longer than Compsognathus.
Baryonyx weighed roughly 567x more than Compsognathus.
Baryonyx was a piscivore while Compsognathus was a carnivore.
Baryonyx lived during the Cretaceous Early while Compsognathus lived during the Jurassic Late, separated by roughly 61 million years.
Compsognathus was discovered 124 years earlier, in 1859.
Baryonyx belonged to Spinosauridae while Compsognathus belonged to Theropoda.
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