Dilophosaurus

two-crested lizard

• di · Greek · two
• lophos · Greek · crest
• sauros · Greek · lizard

The name means "two-crested lizard". It refers to the pair of thin, arching crests on top of the skull, which are the animal's most distinctive feature. The name was given by Samuel Welles in 1970 after he recognised that the crests were part of the animal and that it belonged to a new genus.

Named by

Welles

Year named

1970

Period

Early Jurassic

Stages

Sinemurian – Pliensbachian

Found in

Kayenta Formation, Arizona, USA

Type species is Dilophosaurus wetherilli. Welles first named it Megalosaurus wetherilli in 1954, then moved it to Dilophosaurus in 1970 (a short-lived name, Dilophosaurus breedorum, was also used for a second species, which was later placed in the genus Dracovenator or considered a different animal). The popular claim of a venom-spitting frill comes from the film Jurassic Park and has no fossil support. The exact stage range is approximate.