Cryolophosaurus fossil map
Where fossils of Cryolophosaurus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 190 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 190 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Theropods |
|---|---|
| Lived | 199.5–184.2 million years ago (Sinemurian to Pliensbachian) |
| Periods | Jurassic |
| Named by | Hammer and Hickerson 1994 |
| Fossil records | 1 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Antarctica |
| Rock formations | Hanson |
About Cryolophosaurus
Cryolophosaurus ( or; KRY-ə-LOH-fə-SAWR-əs) is a genus of large theropod dinosaur known from only a single species, Cryolophosaurus ellioti, from the Early Jurassic of Antarctica. It was one of the largest theropods of the Early Jurassic, with the subadult, being estimated to have reached 6–7 metres (20–23 ft) long and weighed 350–465 kilograms (772–1,025 lb).
Cryolophosaurus was first excavated from Antarctica's Early Jurassic, Pliensbachian aged Hanson Formation, formerly the upper Falla Formation, by paleontologist Dr. William Hammer in 1991. It was the first carnivorous dinosaur to be discovered in Antarctica, and the first non-avian dinosaur from the continent to be officially named. The sediments in which its fossils were found have been dated to about 196 to 188 million years ago, representing the Early Jurassic Period.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Cryolophosaurus (revision 1378392329), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 22 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q18511006.
