Torvosaurus
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217633964
2008-06-06T22:39:11Z
Mark t young
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{{Taxobox
| name = ''Torvosaurus''
| fossil_range = [[Late Jurassic]]
| image = Torvosaurus tanner DBi.jpg
| image_width = 250px
| image_caption = ''Torvosaurus tanneri''
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]]
| classis = [[Reptile|Sauropsida]]
| superordo = [[Dinosaur]]ia
| ordo = [[Saurischia]]
| subordo = [[Theropoda]]
| familia = [[Megalosaurid]]ae
| genus = '''''Torvosaurus'''''
|genus_authority = [[Peter Galton|Galton]] & [[James A. Jensen|Jensen]], 1979
|subdivision_ranks=[[Species]]
|subdivision=
*''T. tanneri'' <small>Galton & Jensen, 1979 ([[type species|type]])</small>
}}
'''''Torvosaurus''''' ({{pronEng|ˌtɔrvoʊˈsɔrəs}} ''TOR-vo-SOR-us'') is a [[genus]] of giant [[Carnivore|carnivorous]] [[dinosaur]], relatively similar in appearance to ''[[Tyrannosaurus]]'' although it had larger 'arms' and a bulky body. It lived about 145 [[million years ago]], in the late [[Jurassic]] [[Period (geology)|Period]] of what is now [[North America]] and [[Portugal]]. It reached 9 to 11 [[metre|meters]] (30 to 36 [[foot (unit of length)|ft]]) in length and an estimated weight of about 2 [[metric ton]]s (2.2 [[short ton|ton]]s), which made it the largest [[carnivore]] of its time, except for possibly ''[[Epanterias]]'' (perhaps just a big ''[[Allosaurus]]'') and ''[[Saurophaganax]]''.
It was first discovered by [[James A. Jensen]] and Kenneth Stadtman in the rocks of the [[Morrison Formation]] at the [[Dry Mesa Quarry]], [[Colorado]] in 1972. The genus and the [[type species]] ''T. tanneri'' were named and described in 1979 by [[Peter Galton|Peter M. Galton]] and Jensen. The name ''Torvosaurus'' means 'savage [[lizard]]' from the [[Latin]] ''torvus meaning 'savage' and the [[Ancient Greek|Greek]] ''sauros'' meaning 'lizard').
== Material ==
[[Image:Torvosaurus claw NHM.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Claw of ''Torvosaurus'' ([[Natural History Museum]]).]]
The [[holotype]] is represented by an upper arm bone (''[[humerus]]'') and lower arm bones (''[[radius (bone)|radius]]'' and ''[[ulna]]''). Additional material includes some skull bones, back bones, hip bones and 'hand' bones.
== Systematics ==
''Torvosaurus'' is related to the earlier ''[[Megalosaurus]]'' but is seemingly more advanced. Its classification is still uncertain but its family [[Megalosaurid]]ae is most commonly held as a dead-ended branch of [[Basal (phylogenetics)|basal]] [[tetanurae]], similar to [[Ceratosauria]], although that group would continue on until the end of the [[Cretaceous]].
== Palaeobiology ==
''Torvosaurus'', while the largest [[Predation|predator]] of the Morrison Formation, was likely not the top predator, instead giving way to the packs of nearly as large ''[[Allosaurus]]'' that were far more common. The 8m ''[[Ceratosaurus]]'' also competed for prey, though it likely was a solitary or small group hunter and not much more common than ''Torvosaurus''.
==Largest theropod of the Jurassic==
The size of ''Torvosaurus'' is not definitely known, because only incomplete material has been found, but it was a large theropod. North American ''Torvosaurus'' material is estimated as belonging to an individual about 9.0 meters long (29 ft), with a weight of about 1.95 metric tons (2.15 tons).<ref name=paul1988>{{cite_book |last=Paul |first=Gregory S. |authorlink=Gregory S. Paul |year=1988 |title=Predatory Dinosaurs of the World |location=New York |publisher=Simon and Schuster |pages=282 |isbn=978-0671619466}}</ref> Material from [[Portugal]] indicates even larger animals. In 2006 a nearly complete maxilla found in Portugal was assigned to ''Torvosaurus tanneri''. It measured 63 cm in length (2.13 ft), significantly larger than the 47 cm (1.54 ft) long maxilla of the American specimen (total skull length 118 cm [3.87 ft]). Based on this, a skull length of 158 cm (5.18 ft) was estimated for the Portuguese specimen. This is comparable to the largest ''T. rex'' skulls, and makes ''Torvosaurus'' the largest known Jurassic theropod (surpassing ''[[Saurophaganax]]''/''[[Allosaurus]] maximus'' and ''[[Edmarka]]''), and among the largest of all theropods. A partial femur from another individual belongs to an animal estimated as 11 m (36 ft) long.<ref name="mateusetal06">Mateus, O., Walen, A., and Antunes, M.T. (2006). "The large theropod fauna of the Lourinha Formation (Portugal) and its similarity to that of the Morrison Formation, with a description of a new species of ''Allosaurus''." ''New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin'', '''36'''.</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{portalpar|Dinosaurs}}
== External links ==
* [http://www.dinodata.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7624&Itemid=67 ''Torvosaurus'' at DinoData]
[[Category:Megalosaurs]]
[[Category:Jurassic dinosaurs]]
[[Category:Dinosaurs of Europe]]
[[Category:Dinosaurs of North America]]
[[Category:Morrison fauna]]
[[cs:Torvosaurus]]
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[[it:Torvosaurus tanneri]]
[[pl:Torwozaur]]
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[[ru:Торвозавр]]
[[sk:Torvosaurus]]
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[[zh:蛮龙]]