Dinosaurs A to Z
Metriacanthosauridae

Metriacanthosaurus

"moderately-spined lizard"

Generic theropod body-plan outline
You 1.8 m (5.9 ft) tall
Metriacanthosaurus 5 m (16.4 ft) long
as long as 3 people standing fingertip to fingertip
generic theropod body plan, scaled to length — not a silhouette of Metriacanthosaurus
Length
5 m (16.4 ft)
Period
Late Jurassic (160 Mya)
Place
Asia · United Kingdom
Food
Herbivore
Clade
Metriacanthosauridae

Metriacanthosaurus (meaning “moderately-spined lizard”) is a genus of metriacanthosaurid dinosaur from the Oxford Clay Formation of England, dating to the Late Jurassic period, about 160 million years ago (lower Oxfordian). It is the only metriacanthosaurid currently named from outside of Asia.

What we know

  • Named by Walker, 1964.
  • Fossils found in Asia and United Kingdom.

What we guess

The reconstruction notes for Metriacanthosaurus — soft tissue, color, behavior — haven't been written up yet. Only the recorded basics above are filled in so far.