Megalosaurus

great lizard

• megalo- · Greek · great, big
• sauros · Greek · lizard

Megalosaurus means "great lizard", from the Greek "megalo-" (great) and "sauros" (lizard). It was named by William Buckland in 1824 for large fossil bones found near Oxford, England. It was the first non-avian dinosaur genus to be formally named, and the name reflects the animal's large size compared with living lizards.

Named by

Buckland

Year named

1824

Period

Middle Jurassic

Stage

Bathonian

Found in

Taynton Limestone Formation, Oxfordshire, England, UK

The first dinosaur genus to be scientifically named. The type species, Megalosaurus bucklandii, was named by Mantell in 1827. Many species once placed in the genus have since been moved to other genera.