Torvosaurus Tanneri
Carnosaur
MemberCompsognathusFebruary 22, 20145602 Views28 Replies
Torvosaurus is a genus of Megalosaurid from the late Jurassic of North America and Portugal. It was one of the largest theropods of its time, next to Saurophaganax Maximus, Epanterias Amplexus(which may or may not be laarger species of Allosaurus), and Edmarka Rex. Torvosaurus lived in swampy, jungle-like areas. It had long, muscular legs and mid-sized arms, good for gripping and holding onto prey. It also had a long, narrow skull, probably used to go in and repeatedly bite at larger herbivores.
Torvosaurus grew larger in Europe than in North America, Growing to around 9 meters long and 3 tons here in the states. However, Specimens from Portugal are estimated at 12 meters, with fragments hinting at 13 meter animals. Megalosaurs aren't skinny animals either. A 12 meter Torvosaurus would weigh around 5.5 to 6 tons. Not the largest land based carnivore of all time, but still pretty massive.
Being so large, Torvosaurus could hunt anything it wanted. Prey was very plentiful, the sauropods Deinoheirus and Diplodcus plodded across marshy plains, while Stegosaurs like Stegosaurus and Miragaia fed on the low hanging bushes. The pentiful Ornithopod Camptosaurus was also a readily available food source. Torvosaurus would have also preyed on smaller Carnivores from time to time. Allosaurus Fragilis, despite being a large animal, wasn't safe from this megalosaur.
A long standing debate has been held that Torvosaurus and Edmarka are Synonymous. However, Robert Bakker distinguished the two from the features of the jugal bone, which shows both primitive and derived features.
Nature doesn't deceive us; it is we who deceive ourselves.
