Top 20 Largest Theropods

Yeah...I'm doing another largest theropods list. Happy Thanksgiving. Credit to Franoys on the Theropoda Discord server for providing the mass estimates.

 

20. Gorgosaurus libratus

Length: 9.2 meters

Mass: 3050 kg

Gorgosaurus is a fairly well-known Tyrannosaur from Late Cretaceous North America. It's a sleek, slender animal more akin to Albertosaurus than say, Tyrannosaurus.

 

19. Chilantaisaurus tashuikouensis

Length: 10.6 meters

Mass: 3207 kg

This is one of the most obscure theropods from China. It's a Neovenatorid, one of the stranger families of dinosaurs. It's still relatively mysterious, so its position could change on a future list like this.

 

18. Suchomimus tenerensis

Length: 11.4 meters

Mass: 3295 kg

Next up is, unsurprisingly, a Spinosaurid. Suchomimus to be exact. It's somewhat famous, being represented in the Jurassic Park franchise. However, it's dwarfed by its much larger and more famous cousin.

 

17. Torvosaurus tanneri

Length: 10.6 meters

Mass: 3500 kg

Next up is a North American theropod, Torvosaurus tanneri. Surprisingly, it's larger than the famous Allosaurus fragilis, but it's far from the largest theropod.

 

16. Bistahieversor sealeyi

Length: 9.84 meters

Mass: 3675 kg

Next up is a Tyrannosaur from New Mexico. It's very closely related to Lythronax, which doesn't get a spot on this list.

 

15. Siats meekerorum

Length: 10.4 meters

Mass: 3822 kg

Before the Tyrannosaurs, this Carcharodontosaurid was the alpha male. The holotype, which wasn't fully grown, was reportedly comparable in size to giants like Saurophaganax and Acrocanthosaurus.

 

14. Daspletosaurus sp.

Length: 10.1 meters

Mass: 3939 kg

This spot is taken by the direct ancestor of T.rex, though it's nowhere near as large as its descendant. It's still larger than its contemporary Gorgosaurus and was likely the apex predator of its environment.

 

13. Saurophaganax maximus

Length: 10.8 meters

Mass: 4110 kg

Here's the bully of the Jurassic, the largest predator from the Morrison Formation. Some scientists debate its validity, as it's very similar to Allosaurus. However, it has enough differences to be named as a separate genus.

 

12. Zhuchengtyrannus magnus

Length: 10.08 meters

Mass: 4224 kg

Here's yet another Tyrannosaur, but this one's from Asia. Zhuchengtyrannus is mysterious because of a small specimen sample size, but according to David Hone, an incomplete dorsal from it is comparable to the largest in Sue. Its position could rise in the future.

 

11. Tarbosaurus bataar

Length: 10.57 meters

Mass: 4870 kg

In close range to Zhuchengtyrannus is Tarbosaurus, one of the largest theropods from Asia. It's known from more complete remains, so its placement on this list is more certain.

 

10. Veterupristisaurus milneri

Length: 10.98 meters

Mass: 4984 kg

Hitting the top ten is one of the earliest Carcharodontosaurids. It's actually known from Late Jurassic Tanzania, making it very early. Of course, it's not as big as its later and more massive cousins.

 

9. Therizinosaurus cheloniformis

Length: 9 meters

Mass: 5011 kg

Finally, there's a megatheropod on this list. A contemporary of Tarbosaurus, Therizinosaurus is far stranger. It has the largest claws of any dinosaur, and though most of its skeleton hasn't been uncovered, we've been able to reconstruct it based on its North American relative Nothronychus.

 

8. Acrocanthosaurus atokensis

Length: 11.55 meters

Mass: 5800 kg

In eighth place is the second-largest theropod from North America. It's one of the more basal Carcharodontosaurids and is known from the same fossil beds that procured Siats.

 

7. Carcharodontosaurus saharicus

Length: 12.02 meters

Mass: 6325 kg

Yeah, as surprising as it seems, Carcharodontosaurus doesn't reach the top 5. It's still massive, weighing over six tonnes. Of course, it could likely grow larger because its sample size is small.

 

6. Tyrannotitan chubutensis

Length: 11.75 meters

Mass: 6400 kg

Tyrannotitan is the bulkiest Carcharodontosaurid in proportion to its length. However, other genera are larger and longer. Still, the Tyrant Titan is massive and has one of the coolest names of any dinosaur.

 

5. Mapusaurus roseae

Length: 12.23 meters

Mass: 6804 kg

Mapusaurus is one of the trickiest theropods to estimate, so I scaled from its close cousin Giganotosaurus to arrive at a 6.8-tonne mass.

 

4. Giganotosaurus carolinii

Length: 12.25 meters

Mass: 6838 kg

Scott Hartman's 8200 kg estimate for this guy was incorrect, reducing its size. It's still one of the largest theropods, but not the largest. Hopefully, more complete remains are found.

 

3. Deinocheirus mirificus

Length: 11.80 meters

Mass: 6874 kg

2 and 3 are extremely, extremely close. But nonetheless, in third place is Deinocheirus. It's the largest Asian theropod, and it's a strange animal. Of course, it's also massive.

 

2. Spinosaurus aegyptiacus

Length: 15.06 meters

Mass: 6876 kg

Ah, yes, good ol' Spinosaurus aegyptiacus. The Egyptian Spined Lizard was estimated at 7557 kg, but Franoys redid his GDI analysis of the largest specimen, MSNM V 4047, and arrived at about 6.9 tonnes. It's still in second place, but 7557 kg is still plausible for this genus.

 

1. Tyrannosaurus rex

Length: 12.35 meters

Mass: 8828 kg

Is anyone really surprised? Somehow, the Tyrant Lizard King manages to keep its crown as the largest land predator of all time. Scott Hartman's 8400 kg estimate for the largest specimen, FMNH PR 2081 "Sue" was too conservative, and Hutchinson's 9500 is too high. Franoys' 8.8 tonne estimate is the most reliable one we have. And even then, smaller specimens like CM 9380 are still larger than the next largest on this list. It's nearly two tonnes heavier than Spinosaurus. This animal leaves my jaw upon the floor.