Dilophosaurus

What it was like

Dilophosaurus was a slender, fast-moving hunter that stood on two legs. Its most striking feature was a pair of thin, curved crests running along the top of its skull, probably made mostly of keratin, the same material as claws and horns. At about 7 meters long, it was large for its time, with a long neck, a light skull, and rows of curved, blade-like teeth.

Its arms were strong, ending in four-fingered hands with sharp claws for gripping prey. Dilophosaurus is sometimes shown with a neck frill or venomous spit in movies and games, but fossils support neither of those features. The real crests were likely too delicate for fighting and may instead have been used for display, helping Dilophosaurus recognize others of its own kind.

Its world

Dilophosaurus lived in the Early Jurassic, from about 200 to 184 million years ago, in what is now Arizona. Its remains come from the Kayenta formation, layers of ancient river and floodplain rock that also preserved the small, armored Scutellosaurus and the plant-eating Sarahsaurus.

As one of the largest predators of its time and place, Dilophosaurus likely hunted a range of animals, and may have scavenged when the chance arose. Its long legs suggest it could cover ground quickly while chasing prey across the Early Jurassic landscape.

How it was found

Fossils of Dilophosaurus were uncovered in Arizona, and the genus was formally named by Welles in 1970. Paleontologists have since recorded seven finds of the animal, including a young individual, giving a fuller picture of how it grew.

Its closest relatives, including Dracovenator and Zupaysaurus, come from formations far outside Arizona, on other continents, showing that this early group of predatory dinosaurs was already spread around the world by the Early Jurassic.