Torvosaurus

Reconstruction of a Torvosaurus skeleton in the Museum of Ancient Life, Utah

  • North America ( Morrison Formation )
  • Europe ( Lourinhã lineup, Portugal)
  • T. tanneri Galton & Jensen, 1979
  • T. gurneyi Hendrickx & Mateus, 2014

Torvosaurus is a genus of theropod dinosaur from the Late Jurassic of North America and Europe. The name Torvosaurus means " wild lizard" and is derived from the Latin word Torvus ( "wild" ) and Ancient Greek σαῦρος / sauros ( " lizard" ) from.

Fossil remains of Torvosaurus were (late Kimmeridgian ) and Portugal (early Tithonian ) found in North America. Torvosaurus reached a length of 9 to 11 meters and an estimated weight of 2 tons, making it the largest known predator of its time, with the exception of Allosaurus, Epanterias ( probably identical with Allosaurus ) and Saurophaganax.

1972 found James A. Jensen and Kenneth Stadtman in the rocks of the Dry Mesa Dinosaur Quarry, a part of the Morrison Formation in Colorado, first fossils of Torvosaurus. The genus and the type species Torvosaurus tanneri 1979 were described by Peter Galton and Jensen first time scientifically. The type species was examined later by Brooks Britt on, a copy of Portugal was described by O. Mateus and MT Antunes. 2014 identified Hendrickx and Mateus the remains of a first for a Torvosaurus tanneri held copy from Portugal as a new type names Torvosaurus gurneyi.

Fossil record

The holotype consists of the upper arm bone (humerus ) and the forearm bones ( radius and ulna ). Additional material is in the form in front of some skull bones, parts of the spine and pelvis and hand bones.

System

Torvosaurus is related to the earlier Megalosaurus, but appears more progressive. The classification is still uncertain, but the family of Megalosauridae is commonly regarded as a basal branch of Tetanurae that is less derived than the Carnosaurier or Coelurosaurier and was probably related to the Spinosauriern.

Size

The exact size of Torvosaurus is not known because only incomplete fossils are present. However, there was a larger theropods. It is believed that the North American material of Torvosaurus belonged to an approximately 9 meters long and 1.95 ton specimen.

The finds from Portugal indicate an even larger copy. 2006, a nearly complete maxilla was discovered, the Torvosaurus was assigned gurneyi. The dimensions of the lower jaw of 61.2 centimeters suggest a skull length of 115 centimeters for the Portuguese specimen. The length of the owner is estimated to be 10 m.

Parts of a femur were tentatively assigned to another copy, was the estimated 11 feet long and weighed nearly two tons.

Evidence

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