Dinosaurs A to Z
Allosauridae

Saurophaganax maximus

Generic theropod body-plan outline
You 1.8 m (5.9 ft) tall
Saurophaganax 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 Saurophaganax
Length
5 m (16.4 ft)
Period
Late Jurassic (163–145 Mya)
Place
United States
Food
Carnivore
Clade
Allosauridae

Saurophaganax (“lord of lizard-eaters”) is a dubious, chimeric genus of large saurischian dinosaur, possibly a sauropod, from the Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) Morrison Formation of Oklahoma, United States. This taxon was historically considered to represent a species of Allosaurus or very large allosaurid. However, re-examinations of the attributed specimens suggested that it is a chimera of multiple dinosaur genera, since some specimens most likely belong to a diplodocid sauropod, while the other referred specimens could be reassigned to a novel species of Allosaurus.

What we know

  • Named by Chure, 1995.
  • Fossils found in United States.

What we guess

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