# Dilophosaurus (Dilophosaurus wetherilli) — DinoLand

> Field Journal — free dinosaur encyclopedia: 33 species with photos and video, catalog, ancient world maps (Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous, Gondwana), quiz, and paleontology glossary.

### id=12: Dilophosaurus (Dilophosaurus wetherilli)

- URL: https://www.dinoland.ai/species.html?lang=en&id=12
- Diet: Carnivore
- Era: Jurassic
- Period: 193 million years ago
- Length: 6 m
- Weight: ≈400 кг
- Height: 2 m
- Speed: до 40 km/h
- Habitat: Sandy floodplains flanked by monsoonal forests
- Region: North America
- Discovered: 1940, Samuel P. Welles

Fact: “Twin nasolacrimal crests—Early Jurassic display, not venom-spitting.”

Description: Dilophosaurus is an early medium-large theropod characterized by paired delicate cranial crests and a relatively gracile snout. The crests likely functioned in sexual or social signaling. Its bite mechanics appear less mechanically robust than those of larger allosauroids, suggesting a mixed diet potentially including fish and small vertebrates. Cinematic portrayals of a neck-frilled venom-spitter are purely fictional.

Features:
  - Paired midline crests approach ~30 cm in tall individuals
  - Weaker bite force relative to later giant theropods
  - Among the first large predatory dinosaurs of the Jurassic radiation

Related genera: Cryolophosaurus, Zupaysaurus, Syntarsus


## Citation

Field Journal — Dinosaur Encyclopedia — https://www.dinoland.ai

Web: https://www.dinoland.ai/species.html?lang=en&id=12
Index: https://www.dinoland.ai/llms-en.txt