The Dilophosaurus was a carnivorous lizard from the Jurassic period. It’s best known for the impressive double crest on its snout. We’ll tell you everything you need to know and have six features and a profile for you.
The Dilophosaurus is a well-known dinosaur genus that gained public interest thanks to the movie "Jurassic Park." However, the film’s portrayal has some inconsistencies with reality.
What to Know About Dilophosaurus
What to Know About Dilophosaurus
In this chapter, you’ll find important information about the discovery of Dilophosaurus and the meaning of its name.
We’ve also gathered information about the prehistoric lizard’s relatives and its most important features for you.
Discovery and Fossil Sites
In 1942, Samuel Paul Welles and his research team found the first bones of a Dilophosaurus in the U.S. state of Arizona.
Welles assumed that the discovered species belonged to the Megalosaurus genus. That’s why he named the species Megalosaurus wetherilli.
About 20 years later, the researcher found another fossil of the lizard. The special anatomy of this find showed that the remains were significantly different from the Megalosaurus genus.
Welles then renamed the animal Dilophosaurus wetherilli, describing the Dilophosaurus genus for the first time. More footprints of the prehistoric animal were found on the Monte Buso mountain peak in northern Italy.
Relatives of the Dilophosaurus
Relatives of the Dilophosaurus
For a long time, paleontologists couldn’t agree on the relatives of the Dilophosaurus.
Researchers originally assumed that the prehistoric animal was related to the Coelurosaurs and Ceratosaurs.
According to the latest theories, it’s believed that its closest relatives were the Tetanurae and Ceratosaurs – meaning they all belong to a lineage of theropod dinosaurs.
Meaning of the Name
The Dilophosaurus is also called the "two-crested lizard." The name is composed of the Greek words "sauros" (lizard) and "lophos" (crest).
The name of the prehistoric animal is based on its special appearance: The Dilophosaurus had two large bony crests on its snout.
Features of the Dilophosaurus
Features of the Dilophosaurus
Below, we’ve compiled the most important features of the Dilophosaurus for you.
We explain what the prehistoric lizard ate and how it hunted, as well as the classification of its genus.
You’ll also find out when this prehistoric animal lived, how big it was, and what its habitat was like.
Classification of the Genus and Species
The two-crested lizard is probably the most famous member of the Dilophosauridae – a family of medium-sized Theropoda. It’s debated whether the Dilophosauridae represent a distinct group of creatures or if they are just various earlier theropods.
Some paleontologists see the Dilophosauridae as a derived class of Neotheropoda and the sister class to Averostra. Besides the species Dilophosaurus wetherilli, researchers discovered two other species: Dilophosaurus sinensis and Dilophosaurus breedorum.
However, opinions are divided on the species D. sinensis: the animal could be a different genus, as its body structure differs slightly from D. wetherilli.
When Dilophosaurus Lived
The age of dinosaurs began in the Mesozoic Era. This era is divided into the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. The Triassic began around 250 million years ago, and the Cretaceous ended about 66 million years ago.
The two-crested lizard lived in the Early Jurassic period, about 199 to 175 million years ago. The exact time frame is in the Lower Jurassic and ranges from the Hettangian to the Toarcian – about 5 to 15 million years after the mass extinction at the end of the Triassic.
Habitat
Habitat of the Dilophosaurus
In addition to the fossil finds in North America, researchers also discovered the species D. sinensis in the People’s Republic of China.
During the time the two-crested lizard was alive, the North American plate was drifting northward.
About 150 million years ago, the supercontinent Pangea split into the large continents of Laurasia and Gondwana.
This shifted the habitat of these prehistoric animals from what is now Central America to the southern part of North America and northern Mexico.
Since researchers originally found the species' fossils in the Kayenta Formation in the northern part of the U.S. state of Arizona, more detailed conclusions can be drawn about the Dilophosaurus’s habitat.
The Kayenta Formation is a geological layer in the Glen Canyon Group. It consists of fine-grained sandstone and siltstone.
During the Mesozoic Era, the area was originally flat and surrounded by slow-flowing streams and lakes. The climate was seasonal and varied in the early Jurassic from warm and humid to warm and dry.
Through fossil finds, researchers were able to prove that the Kayenta Formation was inhabited by, among others:
- various plant species
- freshwater invertebrates
- flying reptiles
- smaller mammals
Anatomy and Special Features
Anatomy and Special Features
Much like its relatives, the Dilophosaurus had a lightweight build, allowing it to move quickly and with agility.
The lizard’s defining feature, which gives it its name, is the double crest on its snout. It was formed by the nasal and lacrimal bones.
However, its exact appearance is still unknown, as the crest was poorly preserved in the fossil finds. Since it would have been too thin and fragile to be a weapon in a fight, it might have played a role in mating displays.
Weight, Size, and Speed
The Dilophosaurus was, on average, five to six meters long, with adult animals able to reach a length of seven meters. The lizard also weighed about 500 kilograms. It likely reached speeds of up to 40 kilometers per hour.
Its height at the hip was about two and a half meters, which made the two-crested lizard larger than many other predatory dinosaurs of its time.
Hunting Behavior and Diet
Hunting Behavior and Diet
Due to its lightweight body and long limbs, researchers assume that this carnivorous lizard hunted its prey by sprinting.
The prehistoric lizard might have hunted smaller carnivorous or herbivorous dinosaurs with its strong skull and massive lower jaw.
In early research, paleontologists believed that the lizard had a rather weak jaw and either killed prey with its claws or scavenged carcasses.
However, later discovered fossils provided a more accurate picture of the lizard: the lower jaw contained stable bony ridges – a sign of powerful chewing muscles.
Paleontologists Milner and Kirkland suggest that the prehistoric lizard might have also fed on fish. Its dentition shows similarities to that of the fish-eating Spinosaurus.
The reason for this assumption is the end of the jaw, which is expanded to the sides and forms a "rosette" of interlocking teeth.
Profile: The Dilophosaurus
Profile: The Dilophosaurus
Below, we have once again summarized the most important characteristics of the Dilophosaurus in a profile.
This gives you an at-a-glance overview of how large and heavy the prehistoric lizard was, where it lived, and how you can recognize it.
- Genus Name: Dilophosaurus ("Two-Crested Lizard")
- Known Species: D. wetherilli, D. breedorum, D. sinensis (?)
- Family: Dilophosauridae
- Group: Theropoda
- Order: Saurischia ("Lizard-hipped dinosaurs")
- Period: Early Jurassic
- Habitat: North America
- Diet: Carnivore
- Physical Features: Double crest, strong legs, long neck
- Length: 7 meters
- Height: 2.5 meters
- Weight: 500 kilograms
- Speed: Up to 40 km/h
Dilophosaurus in Pop Culture
Dilophosaurus in Pop Culture
Many artists shape our image of dinosaurs – but they often mix fantasy with scientific facts. The portrayal of this prehistoric lizard in pop culture often deviates from reality.
Dilophosaurus in "Jurassic Park"
The two-crested lizard first became popular through the 1993 film "Jurassic Park."
The famous scene is the unfortunate accident of the programmer Nedry, who unwillingly ends up in the Dilophosaurus enclosure after a car crash.
As he tries to repair his car, he encounters a two-crested lizard. The prehistoric animal initially seems harmless and curious, but a short while later spits venom into the programmer’s face. Nedry tries to escape into his car but is overpowered there by a second lizard.
In the film, the Dilophosaurus is only half its actual size and is depicted with an expandable neck frill. In the fossil finds of the prehistoric lizard, there was no evidence of a neck frill or the ability to spit venom. Therefore, there is no scientific evidence for these attributes.
In later films like "Jurassic World," the Dilophosaurus no longer made an appearance. In the video game "Jurassic World Evolution," the two-crested lizard can be seen again, complete with its neck frill.
Dilophosaurus in "ARK: Survival Evolved"
"ARK": Dilophosaurus
The action-adventure survival game "ARK," released in 2017, is set in a world dominated by dinosaurs.
The goal of the game is to survive and hunt. Dinosaurs can also be tamed and bred.
The video game features the completely fictional subspecies "Dilophosaurus sputatrix" – the game developers created a connection with the Javan spitting cobra ("Naja sputatrix").
In "ARK," the Dilophosaurus is equipped with a decorative neck frill, just like in "Jurassic Park." It can also spit venom to attack its prey.
Dilophosaurus in "The Isle"
In the survival video game "The Isle," the player takes on the role of a dinosaur and becomes either the hunter or the hunted, depending on their choice. The two-crested lizard is depicted more realistically in this open-world game – without a neck frill or the ability to spit venom.
The game developers describe the lizard as a nocturnal hunter that can easily take down small herbivores and carnivores.
Dilophosaurus versus Megapnosaurus
Dilophosaurus versus Megapnosaurus
The Dilophosaurus and the Megapnosaurus (Greek for "big dead lizard") are two theropods that lived in the Kayenta Formation.
A comparison helps, among other things, to estimate the size ratios of the lizards.
We have compared the most important physical characteristics for you and will tell you who would have likely won in an encounter.
Dilophosaurus
- Length: ~7 meters (23 ft)
- Height: ~2.5 meters (8.2 ft)
- Weight: ~500 kg (1100 lbs)
- Period: Early Jurassic
- Diet: Carnivore
Megapnosaurus
- Length: ~3 meters (10 ft)
- Height: ~0.8 meters (2.6 ft)
- Weight: ~30 kg (66 lbs)
- Period: Early Jurassic
- Diet: Carnivore
Who is Stronger
The Dilophosaurus was both heavier and larger than the Megapnosaurus. Furthermore, researchers believe that the jawbone of the Megapnosaurus was only weakly developed. This would have made taking down and holding onto struggling prey almost impossible.
Theories suggest that the Megapnosaurus might have hunted in groups. If a Dilophosaurus had encountered a single Megapnosaurus, the two-crested lizard would have won the fight with a high probability.
If the prehistoric animal had encountered a group of Megapnosaurus, the outcome of the scenario would not have been clear-cut.
The Extinction of the Dilophosaurus
The Extinction of the Dilophosaurus
This lizard lived shortly after a major mass extinction event about 201 million years ago, known as the Triassic-Jurassic boundary.
At the end of the Triassic, about three-quarters of all life forms at the time were wiped out.
By the time of the fifth great mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period, about 66 million years ago, the Dilophosaurus had long since vanished from the Earth.
The prehistoric animal lived for about 24 million years and died out approximately 175 million years ago. The Jurassic period was characterized by extensive tectonic processes, a higher atmospheric oxygen concentration, and strong fluctuations in sea level and climate.
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