Scene 01 / 03
The face
Look at this face. The crests are thin and light, and the skull underneath was built for speed, not crushing. It is one of the earliest big predators, and the face is where that shows. The bird is still in it, barely hidden.
- Species
- Dilophosaurus wetherilli
- Period
- Early Jurassic
- Setting
- Wetland floodplains and shallow water
About this reconstruction
Dilophosaurus wetherilli lived in the Early Jurassic of North America, around 190 million years ago. It was one of the largest predators of its time, roughly 6 meters long, with a light, fast-built skull and two thin crests running along the snout. The crests were probably for display. Everything else about its life is still being worked out from a small number of skeletons.
The scenes
Scene 02 / 03
The body
The body is the surprise. Around six meters long, but the bones are light and the legs are long. It looks like it could move fast, and it could. Size and speed together, that was a real problem for anything in the Early Jurassic it decided to chase.
Scene 03 / 03
A narrow escape
This one is young. You can see it in the proportions, still growing into itself. And that is the only reason the sky is this close right now. A full-grown Dilophosaurus has little to fear. But a juvenile, still learning how big it is going to be, that is a different story. It learns what a lot of young predators learn: the world is bigger than you. For now. One day it will not be.
Continue exploring
There’s more to explore.
Meet another creature, or help me make the next film.