Megalosaurus was the first dinosaur given a scientific name and lived about 180 to 160 million years ago during the period of the Earth's history known as the Jurassic. This big predator had a large head with powerful jaws which held teeth with long roots. Megalosaurus had hand with three fingers and feet with four toes, toes and fingers had strong claws.
Megalosaurus was a large 30ft predator with a large head, sharp teeth and strong legs. Its remains have been found in Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America.
Megalosaurus was a carnivore, a meat eater. It was a large, fierce predator that could kill even large sauropods. The structure of the cervical vertebrae suggests that its neck would have been very flexible. To support its weight of around one tonne, the legs were large and muscular. Like all theropods, it had three forward facing toes and a single reversed one. Although they had not reached the minuscule size of later theropods like Tyrannosaurus, the fore limbs of Megalosaurus were small and probably had three or four digits.
Megalosaurus was a meat eater. This predator hunted sauropods, or large, plant-eating dinosaurs, such as Apatosaurus. Like other meat-eating dinosaurs, Megalosaurus most likely sprung a surprise attack on its victims from behind tall plants. With its powerful back legs, it would have been able to chase down its prey over short distances.
Characteristics
- Name:megalosaurus ("three horns face")
- Type Species:Jurassic
- Length:30 feet (9 m)
- Weight:1 ton or more
- Height:10 feet (3 m)
- Teeth:52 chisel-like teeth
- Diet:Carnivore (Meat-Eater)
- How it walked:Walked on four legs, front legs longer than back legs
- Period:Carnivorous
