Magnosaurus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Magnosaurus |
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| Skeletal diagram of the holotype specimen | |
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| †Megalosaurus nethercombensis Huene, 1923
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†M. nethercombensis (Huene, 1923 [originally Megalosaurus]) |
Magnosaurus (which means 'large lizard') was a type of meat-eating dinosaur called a theropod. It lived in what is now England during the Middle Jurassic period, about 173 to 169 million years ago. This dinosaur is known from only a few fossil pieces, which makes it a bit mysterious!
About Magnosaurus
Magnosaurus was a carnivore, meaning it ate meat. Like many theropods, it walked on two legs, making it bipedal. Scientists believe it was a medium-sized dinosaur for its time.
Discovery and Naming
The main species of this dinosaur is called Magnosaurus nethercombensis. Its fossils are not very well preserved. Because of this, it has often been mixed up with or even thought to be the same as another dinosaur called Megalosaurus.
In 1923, a German scientist named Friedrich von Huene first described some of these fossils. He found a partial skeleton that had been discovered in the 1800s in Dorset, England. Huene originally thought these fossils belonged to a new species of Megalosaurus, so he named it Megalosaurus nethercombensis.
Later, in 1932, Huene decided that these fossils were different enough to be their own genus. He then created the name Magnosaurus for them. The fossils might have come from a younger, or juvenile, dinosaur.
What it Looked Like
Since only a few bone fragments have been found, we don't know many specific details about what Magnosaurus looked like. However, we do know it was a bipedal (two-legged) meat-eater. It was likely a moderately sized dinosaur compared to other dinosaurs of the Jurassic period.
Images for kids
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Life restoration
See also
In Spanish: Magnosaurus para niños
