Dilophosaurus
Dilophosaurus wetherilli
Pronounced: die - Loaf -
o - Saw - rus
Diet: Carnivore
(Meat-Eater)
Name Means: "Double
Crested Lizard"
Length: 22 feet (7 m)
Height: 10 feet (3 m)
Weight: 1,000 pounds (450
kilos)
Time: Early Jurassic -
190 mya
Fossil remains for this Dinosaur have been
found in Western United States, China
Dilophosaurus was the largest meat-eater of the
early Jurassic. It was made famous by the movie
Jurassic Park, but the movie did not present an
accurate picture of this dinosaur. Because it was
the biggest and most ferocious of its time, it would
not have needed to be poisonous (it was probably not
a "spitter" like in the movie). It is also much
larger than the movie version.
Dilophosaurus gets its name from the two thin crests of
bone on the top of its head. These were probably used as a
display for courtship purposes (scientists don't believe it
had a frill on its neck like the movie version).
Dilophosaurus has been found in both the U.S. and China,
which, although part of the same huge landmass, were still
quite a long distance from each other.
As an early predatory dinosaur, Dilophosaurus did not
have forward facing eyes to give it stereo vision. It may
have used scent as an integral part of its hunting
technique. It had long and slender, rear-curving teeth in
long jaws and strong front arms which would have been
effective in grabbing prey. It was fast - probably with a
top speed of about 30-mph. It also had a long tail that
could have been used as a whip in a fight. Footprints
attributed to Dilophosaurus appear in groups, so it may have
hunted in small packs. It shares the same overall body
configuration as its ancestor the
Coelophysis. |
