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Metriacanthosaurus

Dinosaur profile

Metriacanthosaurus

CarnivoreLate JurassicLarge Theropod

Pronunciation

Met-ree-ah-can-foe-sore-us

Meaning

Moderately spined lizard

Type

Large Theropod

Length

8.2 meters long

Period

Late Jurassic

Years

159-154 million years ago

Location

United Kingdom

Diet

Carnivore

About Metriacanthosaurus

Metriacanthosaurus is a genus of carnivorous theropod dinosaur that lived during the Middle Jurassic period (about 164 to 161 million years ago) in what is now Europe and Asia. It was a large and heavily built animal, with an estimated length of around 8 meters (26 feet) and a weight of around 2 to 3 tons. It had a long, narrow skull with large, sharp teeth, and its neck and tail were both relatively long. Its body was supported by sturdy, columnar legs, and it had three toes on each foot, each equipped with a sharp claw. Metriacanthosaurus was a fast and agile predator, and it probably preyed on a variety of large herbivorous dinosaurs. It is known from a few fragmentary fossils, including parts of the skull, vertebrae, and hindlimbs.

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