Compsognathus vs Dilophosaurus

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

Side-by-Side Comparison

Eigenschaft Compsognathus Dilophosaurus
Wissenschaftlicher Name Compsognathus longipes Dilophosaurus wetherilli
Klassifikation Theropoda Theropoda
Zeitraum Jurassic Late Jurassic Early
Ernährung Carnivore Carnivore
Länge 1.0 m 7.0 m
Height 0.3 m 2.0 m
Gewicht 3 kg 400 kg
Entdeckungsjahr 1859 1954
Fundort Riedenburg, Bavaria, Germany Tuba City, Arizona, USA
Benannt von Johann A. Wagner Samuel P. Welles

Size Comparison

Compsognathus 1.0 m

smaller than a human child

Dilophosaurus 7.0 m

roughly the length of a large SUV

Weight Comparison

Compsognathus 3 kg

lighter than a human adult

Dilophosaurus 400 kg

about 6 adult humans

Timeline Comparison

Compsognathus
161,5 Mya Jurassic Late (Mesozoic) 145,0 Mya
Dilophosaurus
201,4 Mya Jurassic Early (Mesozoic) 174,7 Mya

Diet Comparison

Compsognathus

Carnivore

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

Dilophosaurus

Carnivore

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

Classification Comparison

Compsognathus

Clade: Saurischia

Group: Theropoda

(Beast feet)

Dilophosaurus

Clade: Saurischia

Group: Theropoda

(Beast feet)

Both dinosaurs share a common ancestor within the Theropoda clade.

Did You Know?

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Dilophosaurus was about 7.0x longer than Compsognathus.

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Dilophosaurus weighed roughly 133x more than Compsognathus.

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Both Compsognathus and Dilophosaurus were carnivores.

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Compsognathus lived during the Jurassic Late while Dilophosaurus lived during the Jurassic Early, separated by roughly 56 million years.

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Compsognathus was discovered 95 years earlier, in 1859.

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Both belong to the Theropoda clade, making them relatively close relatives.

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