Explore this animal in Size of Extinct Animals ↗
273 / Mesozoic
Megalosaurus
Megalosaurus bucklandii
The first formally named non-avian dinosaur later became a wastebasket for unrelated theropod bones.
View original image · 1536 × 1024- Time range
- About 168–166 million years ago
- Final stage
- Middle Jurassic
- Geographic range
- Island valleys and coastal plains · Britain
01 / DEFINITION & ECOLOGY
What was Megalosaurus?
Megalosaurus (Megalosaurus bucklandii) was an extinct organism known from About 168–166 million years ago, with a range in Island valleys and coastal plains · Britain.
Life and ecology
Megalosaurus was a robust bipedal predator with three-fingered hands; modern restorations rely only on securely referred British material.
02 / DISAPPEARANCE
Why did Megalosaurus disappear?
Changing island environments and predator faunas before the Late Jurassic are possible context, but they do not establish why the genus disappeared.
03 / EVIDENCE
How do scientists know about Megalosaurus?
Jaw, teeth, pelvis and hindlimb bones form the reliable core after historical specimens were reassessed.
04 / SOURCES & FURTHER READING
Check the source record
Use the scientific name to compare taxonomy, occurrence records and the fossil record. Database coverage and classifications may differ.
05 / REVISION HISTORY
How has this record changed?
- Rewrote an extinction cause that presented environmental or faunal turnover as established; it is now given as context the record does not prove.
- Verified authoritative entity sources and added three responsive reconstruction sizes.
- Initial bilingual species record published.
06 / CORRECTIONS & ADDITIONS