Dilophosaurus

Dilophosaurus wetherilli

Twin parallel crests ran along the top of the skull of Dilophosaurus wetherilli, one of the earliest large predatory dinosaurs. This carnivore measured about 7 meters and roughly 400 kilograms and lived during the Early Jurassic, roughly 201 to 175 million years ago. Samuel P. Welles described it in 1954 from near Tuba City, Arizona. Despite its portrayal in popular film, there is no fossil evidence that it possessed a neck frill or spat venom; its real distinction lies in those delicate paired head crests, probably used for display, and in its early position in the evolution of large-bodied theropods.

Dilophosaurus was one of the earliest large carnivorous dinosaurs. It had two distinctive parallel crests on its skull. Contrary to Jurassic Park, there is no evidence it had a frill or spat venom.

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Physical Description

Measurement	Value	Human Scale
Panjang	7.0 m	roughly the length of a large SUV
Height	2.0 m	—
Berat	400 kg	about 6 adult humans

Diet & Feeding

Carnivore

Dilophosaurus was a meat-eating predator. Carnivorous dinosaurs were active hunters or scavengers, equipped with sharp teeth and claws for catching and consuming prey. They occupied the top of the food chain in their ecosystems.

Time Period

Jurassic Early Mesozoic Era

Dilophosaurus lived during the Jurassic Early period of the Mesozoic Era, approximately 201,4 to 174,7 million years ago.

After the Triassic-Jurassic extinction, dinosaurs rapidly diversified and became the dominant land vertebrates. Early sauropods and theropods began to evolve larger body sizes.

Discovery & Naming

Dinamai Oleh	Samuel P. Welles
Tahun Penemuan	1954
Lokasi Penemuan	Tuba City, Arizona, USA

Klasifikasi

Dinosauria → Saurischia → Theropoda → Dilophosaurus

Beast feet

Bipedal, mostly carnivorous dinosaurs that include the largest land predators ever to live. Theropods gave rise to modern birds. Ranges from tiny Compsognathus to massive Tyrannosaurus rex.