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Megalosaurus

Say it: MEG-uh-loh-SORE-us

Name means: “great lizard”1

Ate: MeatMeat-eating dinosLate Triassic to Late Cretaceous

Megalosaurus was a big, meat-eating dinosaur that stomped around England during the Middle Jurassic, about 166 million years ago. It was one of the very first dinosaurs ever found and the first one to get a name, even before the word 'dinosaur' existed!1

Lived

206 to 66 million years ago4

Late Triassic to Late Cretaceous

Fossils found in

Fossils have been found in England, especially around Oxfordshire, and also in France, Spain, Germany, China, and Tanzania.1 4

Food

Meat1 4

Length

6 m1

Weight

700 kg to 943 kg2 3

estimate; 700 kg from Wikipedia, 943 kg from femur-based calculation

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

How long was it?

How heavy was it?

as heavy as 31 big dogs

as long as 6 dogs nose to tailas long as 33 bananas end to endas heavy as 190 watermelons

How big was Megalosaurus compared to YOU?

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cool stuff

Fun facts

Megalosaurus was named in 1824, which was 18 years before the word 'dinosaur' was even invented in 1842.1

At first, scientists thought there were many species of Megalosaurus, more than any other dinosaur, but now they think there was only one true species, Megalosaurus bucklandii.1

Many fossils that were once called Megalosaurus have been reclassified as other dinosaurs, because Megalosaurus was one of the first named and became a 'wastebasket' for similar finds.1

The type specimen of Megalosaurus is a partial lower jaw bone, found in the Stonesfield Slate quarries in England.4

Megalosaurus lived during the Bathonian Age, which is in the middle of the Jurassic Period, about 166 million years ago.1

AI-made picture of Megalosaurus — An AI-made picture of how Megalosaurus might have looked, made by a computer from what scientists know. It is a guess: the real animal may have looked different, and nobody knows its true colours.

you asked

Most asked questions about Megalosaurus

?How big was Megalosaurus?

About 6 metres (20 ft) long and weighed around 700 kilograms (1,500 lb).2 1

?What did Megalosaurus eat?

It was a carnivore, meaning it ate meat. It likely hunted other dinosaurs and animals in its ecosystem.1 2

?When did Megalosaurus live?

It lived during the Middle Jurassic Period, about 166 million years ago.1 2

?Where was Megalosaurus found?

Fossils have been found in England, especially in Oxfordshire.1 2

?Was Megalosaurus the first dinosaur named?

Yes, it was the first dinosaur genus ever given a scientific name, in 1824.1 2

?Did Megalosaurus walk on two legs?

Yes, it was bipedal and walked on two stout hind legs, with its tail held out for balance.2

?Was Megalosaurus bigger than T. rex?

No, it was much smaller. Megalosaurus was about 6 metres long, while T. rex was over 12 metres long.2

?What does the name Megalosaurus mean?

It means 'great lizard', from the Greek words 'megas' (big) and 'sauros' (lizard).2

?Did Megalosaurus have feathers?

Nobody knows for sure. No feather fossils have been found with Megalosaurus, but some related dinosaurs may have had simple feathers.2

?Could Megalosaurus swim?

There is no direct evidence that it could swim, but like many animals, it might have been able to cross water if needed.2

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Myth buster

Myth: Some people think Megalosaurus was the first dinosaur ever discovered, but that's not quite right.

Truth: Megalosaurus was one of the first dinosaurs found and the first to be named, but it was named before the word 'dinosaur' existed, and many other fossils were found earlier but not recognized as dinosaurs.1

For dino experts

Scientific name: Megalosaurus
Named by: Parkinson 18224
Group: Meat-eating dinos
Family / clade: Megalosauridae4
Classification: Theropoda4
Age of the rocks: 206 to 66 million years (Rhaetian / Maastrichtian)4
Rock formations: Forest Marble, Cotswold Slate, Marnes de Dives4
Countries: United Kingdom, France, Spain, Germany, China, Tanzania4
Fossil records: 60 in the Paleobiology Database4
Discovery: Megalosaurus was named by William Buckland in 1824, based on fossils found in Oxfordshire, England, including a tooth, a leg bone, and a piece of lower jaw. It was the first dinosaur to receive a scientific name.1
Still debated: Scientists still debate whether some fossils assigned to Megalosaurus really belong to it, because it was named so early and many specimens have been reassigned. Some researchers think the name Megalosaurus might only apply to the one good species, Megalosaurus bucklandii.1 4

Where the facts come from

Megalosaurus | Natural History Museum (nhm.ac.uk)
Megalosaurus (en.wikipedia.org)
Megalosaurus BUCKLAND 1824 (zenodo.org)
Megalosaurus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.

Every fact on this page has a number that points to its source. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are dino fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

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