Two thin crests
Paired bony crests rose from the skull and likely formed conspicuous visual features.
A REAL DINOSAUR. A SUSPICIOUSLY FAMILIAR PERSONALITY.
DILOPHOSAURUS.
Made an entrance.
You understand presentation. A story deserves a setup, an outfit deserves an occasion, and your arrival deserves at least a small adjustment in atmosphere.
SIGNATURE MOVEMaking ‘just popping in’ feel like an appearance.
SPECIMEN 21 / EARLY JURASSIC
DILOPHOSAURUS WETHERILLI · CARNIVORE
DILOPHOSAURUS WETHERILLI · CARNIVOREConnor Ashbridge · CC BY 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Meet the actual dinosaur THE ACTUAL SCIENCE STARTS HERE
Meet the real Dilophosaurus.
The jokes are ours.
The animal was very real.
- WHEN
- About 193 million years ago
- ON THE MENU
- Carnivore
- LENGTH
- About 6–7 m
- BODY MASS
- Roughly 300–450 kg
No movie frill
There is no fossil evidence for the expandable neck frill shown in Jurassic Park.
No known venom
The fossil evidence does not establish venom-spitting behavior.
A sizeable predator
The real animal was considerably larger than the small creature depicted in its famous film appearance.
Early Jurassic ecosystems
Its remains come from the Kayenta Formation, far earlier than the time of Tyrannosaurus.
Stronger than once thought
More recent anatomical study revised earlier ideas that its jaws were particularly weak.
A little room for discovery.
Crest coverings, coloration, and display behavior are not directly preserved.
Read more: Dilophosaurus on Wikipedia · Research and references. Facts are summarized in our own words. Size and date ranges are approximate; estimates vary by specimen and study. Gallery images may include other species within the genus.
A closer look.
Fossils, museum displays, and published reconstructions. Artwork shows an interpretation; it is not a photograph of a living dinosaur.
Is this your prehistoric alter ego?
Eight questions and an optional face scan will settle this. Very unofficially.