Key Information
Torvosaurus
| Species | Torvosaurus tanneri, Torvosaurus gurneyi |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Length | 30 to 33 ft |
| Height | 9 ft |
| Weight | 2.2 to 5.5 tonnes |
| Timescale | Middle to Late Jurassic |
| Classification | Saurischia > Theropoda > Megalosauridae > Megalosaurinae |
| Similar Species | Megalosaurus, Duriavenator |
Learning Point
- Torvosaurus was a huge, meat-eating dinosaur that lived about 150 million years ago, long before the T-Rex. It was a powerful hunter with a big head, strong jaws, and sharp, serrated teeth. While it wasn’t as well-known as some other dinosaurs, it was one of the largest predators of its time, roaming ancient forests in what is now North America and Europe. Scientists have found its fossils, and they think it might have been a sneaky stalker that hunted down other big dinosaurs for food.
Project
- Draw a picture of Torvosaurus.
- Overview
- X-Ray
- Skull
Location
| Confirmed | North & South America, Europe, Africa, Asia |
Fun Facts
- The name, Torvosaurus means “savage lizard” in Latin and Greek, which is a perfect name for this fierce predator with a huge head and sharp, jagged teeth.
- Scientists have found fossils of Torvosaurus in both North America and Europe, showing that this dinosaur roamed across a very wide area.
- While it had a large, strong body and powerful legs, its arms and hands were more normal-sized compared to the small arms of the T-Rex.
- In Portugal, scientists found some fossilized dinosaur eggs with embryos inside that they believe belong to a Torvosaurus, which is a super rare and exciting discovery!
Past Lessons
| 204 | September 15, 2025 | (North America) |