Name:
Magnosaurus (Greek for "large lizard"); pronounced MAG-no-SORE-us
Habitat:
Woodlands of Western Europe
Historical Period:
Middle Jurassic (175 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About 13 feet long and 400 pounds
Diet:
Meat
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Small size; bipedal stance
About Magnosaurus:
Paleontologists are still untangling the confusion generated by the early discovery (in 1676) of Megalosaurus, after which every dinosaur that vaguely resembled it was assigned, incorrectly, to its genus. A good example is Magnosaurus, which (based on its limited fossil remains) was considered a species of Megalosaurus until fairly recently. Apart from this taxonomic confusion, Magnosaurus appears to have been a typical theropod of the middle Jurassic period, relatively small (only 400 pounds or so) and speedy compared to its later Jurassic and Cretaceous descendants.
