Explore this animal in Size of Extinct Animals ↗
563 / Mesozoic
Monolophosaurus
Monolophosaurus jiangi
A single crest running from snout to skull roof gave this medium theropod a distinctive profile.
View original image · 1600 × 1067- Time range
- About 170 million years ago
- Final stage
- Middle Jurassic
- Geographic range
- Lakeshore and river plain · Xinjiang, China
01 / DEFINITION & ECOLOGY
What was Monolophosaurus?
Monolophosaurus (Monolophosaurus jiangi) was an extinct organism known from About 170 million years ago, with a range in Lakeshore and river plain · Xinjiang, China.
Life and ecology
It hunted small and medium dinosaurs and vertebrates near lakes; the crest likely aided display and recognition.
02 / DISAPPEARANCE
Why did Monolophosaurus disappear?
Theropod turnover in Asia between the Middle and Late Jurassic is possible context, but it does not demonstrate why Monolophosaurus disappeared.
03 / EVIDENCE
How do scientists know about Monolophosaurus?
A near-complete skull and associated skeleton constrain crest, teeth and proportions; display tissues remain reconstructed.
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