Torvosaurus

Taxobox
name = "Torvosaurus"
fossil_range = Late Jurassic

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image_width = 250px
image_caption = "Torvosaurus tanneri"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Sauropsida
superordo = Dinosauria
ordo = Saurischia
subordo = Theropoda
familia = Megalosauridae
genus = "Torvosaurus"
genus_authority = Galton & Jensen, 1979
subdivision_ranks=Species
subdivision=
*"T. tanneri" Galton & Jensen, 1979 (type)

"Torvosaurus" (pronEng|ˌtɔrvoʊˈsɔrəs "TOR-vo-SOR-us") is a genus of giant 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 of what is now North America and Portugal. It reached 9 to 11 meters (30 to 36 ft) in length and an estimated weight of about 2 metric tons (2.2 tons), 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 M. Galton and Jensen. The type specimen from Colorado was further described by Brooks Britt, and the Portuguese specimen by O. Mateus and M.T. Antunes. The name "Torvosaurus" means 'savage lizard' from the Latin "torvus" meaning 'savage' and the Greek "sauros" meaning 'lizard').

Material

The holotype is represented by an upper arm bone ("humerus") and lower arm bones ("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 Megalosauridae is most commonly held as a dead-ended branch of basal tetanurae, similar to Ceratosauria, although that group would continue on until the end of the Cretaceous.

Palaeobiology

"Torvosaurus", while the largest 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).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] 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.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.]

References

External links

* [http://www.dinodata.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7624&Itemid=67 "Torvosaurus" at DinoData]