Torvosaurus 1272088 217633964 2008-06-06T22:39:11Z Mark t young 1593890 {{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&nbsp;[[metre|meters]] (30 to 36&nbsp;[[foot (unit of length)|ft]]) in length and an estimated weight of about 2&nbsp;[[metric ton]]s (2.2&nbsp;[[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&nbsp;meters long (29&nbsp;ft), with a weight of about 1.95&nbsp;metric tons (2.15&nbsp;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&nbsp;cm in length (2.13&nbsp;ft), significantly larger than the 47&nbsp;cm (1.54&nbsp;ft) long maxilla of the American specimen (total skull length 118&nbsp;cm [3.87&nbsp;ft]). Based on this, a skull length of 158&nbsp;cm (5.18&nbsp;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&nbsp;m (36&nbsp;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]] [[es:Torvosaurus]] [[it:Torvosaurus tanneri]] [[pl:Torwozaur]] [[pt:Torvossauro]] [[ru:Торвозавр]] [[sk:Torvosaurus]] [[sv:Torvosaurus]] [[zh:蛮龙]]