Compsognathus vs Tyrannosaurus Rex

A detailed side-by-side comparison of Compsognathus and Tyrannosaurus Rex, covering size, diet, classification, geologic period, and discovery history.

{# ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Side-by-side comparison table ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ #}

Side-by-Side Comparison

Property Compsognathus Tyrannosaurus Rex
Scientific Name Compsognathus longipes Tyrannosaurus rex
Classification Theropoda Tyrannosauridae
Period Jurassic Late Cretaceous Late
Diet Carnivore Carnivore
Length 1.0 m 12.3 m
Height 0.3 m 3.7 m
Weight 3 kg 8.4 t
Discovery Year 1859 1905
Discovery Location Riedenburg, Bavaria, Germany Montana, USA
Named By Johann A. Wagner Henry Fairfield Osborn
{# ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Visual size comparison ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ #}

Size Comparison

Compsognathus 1.0 m

smaller than a human child

Tyrannosaurus Rex 12.3 m

about as long as 2 cars end-to-end

Weight Comparison

Compsognathus 3 kg

lighter than a human adult

Tyrannosaurus Rex 8.4 t

about the weight of 1.4 elephants

{# ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Timeline comparison ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ #}

Timeline Comparison

Compsognathus
161.5 Mya Jurassic Late (Mesozoic) 145.0 Mya
Tyrannosaurus Rex
100.5 Mya Cretaceous Late (Mesozoic) 66.0 Mya
{# ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Diet comparison ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ #}

Diet Comparison

Compsognathus

Carnivore

Compsognathus was a meat-eating predator, hunting other animals for food.

Tyrannosaurus Rex

Carnivore

Tyrannosaurus Rex was a meat-eating predator, hunting other animals for food.

{# ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Classification comparison ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ #}

Classification Comparison

Compsognathus

Clade: Saurischia

Group: Theropoda

(Beast feet)

Tyrannosaurus Rex

Clade: Theropoda

Group: Tyrannosauridae

(Tyrant lizards)

{# ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Key differences (from Comparison model) ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ #} {# ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Did You Know? fun facts ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ #}

Did You Know?

💡

Tyrannosaurus Rex was about 12.3x longer than Compsognathus.

💡

Tyrannosaurus Rex weighed roughly 2800x more than Compsognathus.

💡

Both Compsognathus and Tyrannosaurus Rex were carnivores.

💡

Compsognathus lived during the Jurassic Late while Tyrannosaurus Rex lived during the Cretaceous Late, separated by roughly 44 million years.

💡

Compsognathus was discovered 46 years earlier, in 1859.

💡

Compsognathus belonged to Theropoda while Tyrannosaurus Rex belonged to Tyrannosauridae.

{# ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Related comparisons ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ #}

Compare With Other Dinosaurs

{# ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Explore these dinosaurs ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ #}

Explore These Dinosaurs

Explore the Natural World

Discover more across the Nature FYI family