Dryptosaurus

†Dryptosaurus ('tearing lizard') is a large carnivorous theropod from the Late Cretaceous of New Jersey, USA, first described by Edward Drinker Cope in 1866. Roughly 7.5 m long, it possessed large forelimbs relative to tyrannosaurids, reflecting its basal tyrannosauroid or megaraptoran affinities. An 1897 Charles Knight painting of leaping Dryptosaurs is an iconic image in paleontological art history.

Diet & Feeding

Carnivore

Dryptosaurus 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

Cretaceous Late Mesozoic Era

Dryptosaurus lived during the Cretaceous Late period of the Mesozoic Era, approximately 100.5 to 66.0 million years ago.

The final age of dinosaurs, featuring iconic species like Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, and Velociraptor. Dinosaurs reached their peak diversity before the catastrophic asteroid impact at the Chicxulub crater ended the Mesozoic Era.