Cetiosaurus

† Cetiosaurus, the 'whale lizard,' is one of the first dinosaurs formally described by science (Richard Owen, 1841), originally mistaken for a marine reptile due to its massive vertebrae. A basal sauropod of the Middle Jurassic, it reached approximately 18 m in length. A herbivore, it browsed on cycads and conifers across what is now Europe and North Africa. Its name reflects Owen's early interpretation of its remains as a giant marine animal.

Diet & Feeding

Herbivore

Cetiosaurus was a plant-eating dinosaur. Herbivores typically fed on ferns, cycads, conifers, and other vegetation available during their era. Many herbivorous dinosaurs developed specialized teeth and digestive systems for processing tough plant material.

Time Period

Jurassic Middle Mesozoic Era

Cetiosaurus lived during the Jurassic Middle period of the Mesozoic Era, approximately 174.7 to 161.5 million years ago.

Dinosaur diversity continued to increase, with the evolution of large sauropods and diverse theropods. Stegosaurs first appeared, and the supercontinent Pangaea was breaking apart.