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Monolophosaurus jiangi
(Zhao & Currie, 1994)) |
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Name Means: |
Jiang's single-crested lizard |
Length: |
17 ft. (5 meters) |
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Pronounced: |
mono-Loaf-o-Saw-rus |
Weight: |
1,500 pounds (700 kilos) |
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When it lived: |
Middle Jurassic - 170 MYA |
Family: |
Allosauroidea |
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Where found: |
China |
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Monolophosaurus was a
medium-sized meat-eater from China that lived during the Jurassic
Period. It had lots of sharp teeth and a big, skinny head. It also had
one feature not found on any other meat-eating dinosaur - a long, bony
ridge that went from its nose back to the top of its head. The area
where Monolophosaurus was discovered showed signs that it was
sometimes covered with water, so it is possible that this dinosaur
lived on the shore of a lake or sea.
The remains of the type of Monolophosaurus (IVPP 84019)
preserve a complete skull and partial postcranium (Zhao & Currie,
1994). In fact, these remains are amongst the most complete from the
Middle Jurassic of China (Rauhut, 2003). A recent phylogenetic
analysis (Rauhut, 2003) places Monolophosaurus as the basalmost
member of the the Allosauroidea. Some scientists think it should be
included in the megalosaur family. |
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