Torvosaurus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids TorvosaurusTemporal range: Upper Jurassic
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Torvosaurus
Galton & Jensen, 1979
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Torvosaurus was a huge meat-eating dinosaur that lived a very long time ago. It roamed the Earth during the Upper Jurassic period, about 153 to 148 million years ago. Today, we find its fossils in places like Colorado in the USA and Portugal in Europe.
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About Torvosaurus
Torvosaurus was likely one of the biggest meat-eaters of its time. It was a large, strongly built dinosaur that walked on two legs. This powerful hunter could grow to be 9 to 11 meters (30 to 36 feet) long. That's about as long as a school bus! It weighed around 2 metric tons (2.2 tons), which is like two small cars.
What it Looked Like
Compared to other famous dinosaurs, Torvosaurus had arms that were about average for its size. For example, Allosaurus had stronger arms. And the mighty T. rex had much smaller arms.
Where it Lived
Scientists have studied the ancient environment where Torvosaurus lived. This area, part of the Morrison Formation, had rivers flowing into a huge, salty lake. There were also many wetlands nearby, which are like swampy areas.
Fossils found in the Dry Mesa Dinosaur Quarry in western Colorado show how many different kinds of animals lived there. It's one of the most diverse places for Upper Jurassic fossils in the world!
Dinosaur Neighbors
In this ancient home, Torvosaurus shared its world with many other dinosaurs, including:
- Huge plant-eaters called sauropods, like Apatosaurus, Diplodocus, Barosaurus, Supersaurus, and Camarasaurus.
- Other plant-eaters like the iguanodontid Camptosaurus and Dryosaurus.
- The armored Stegosaurus with its famous plates and tail spikes.
- And other meat-eating theropods, such as Allosaurus, Ceratosaurus, and Ornitholestes.
Images for kids
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Maxillae of T. gurneyi and T. tanneri compared
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Restoration of T. tanneri
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Skeletal restoration showing the size of T. gurneyi, known remains highlighted
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Torvosaurus sp. in Japan
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Caudal vertebra of T. gurneyi
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Teeth of T. gurneyi
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Claw cast of T. tanneri, Natural History Museum, London
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Femur and tibia referred to T. gurneyi
See also
In Spanish: Torvosaurus para niños
