223Mesozoic
Cryolophosaurus
Cryolophosaurus ellioti
A curved transverse crest across its skull gives this large Antarctic theropod an unmistakable profile.
Polar valleys and conifer forest · Antarctica
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Dinosaurs of Antarctica
Explore Antarctica’s dinosaur record through Cryolophosaurus, its Jurassic setting and the limits of a fossil archive shaped by ice-covered geology.
Places, environments and evidence
Cryolophosaurus is the Antarctic dinosaur currently represented by a dedicated atlas profile. Its fossils document a very different continent from today’s ice-covered landscape. The single linked record reflects this website’s coverage, not the total known Antarctic fauna. Geological access remains a major constraint on collecting and interpreting the continent’s dinosaur record.
Common questions
Did Antarctic dinosaurs live on today’s ice sheet?
No. The rocks and associated fossils describe ancient environments, not the modern ice sheet. Present-day Antarctica is the geographic location of the finds, not a reconstruction of their habitat.