Torvosaurus fossil map
Where fossils of Torvosaurus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 145 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 145 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 | 165.3–143.1 million years ago (Callovian to Tithonian) |
| Periods | Jurassic |
| Family | Megalosauridae |
| Named by | Galton and Jensen 1979 |
| Fossil records | 28 occurrences at 24 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Portugal, Tanzania, Uruguay, Germany, China |
| Rock formations | Morrison, Lourinhã, Tendaguru, Tacuarembó, txn:38574, Ornatenton |
About Torvosaurus
Torvosaurus is a genus of large megalosaurine theropod dinosaur that lived approximately 165 to 146.5 million years ago during the Callovian to Tithonian ages of the late Middle and Late Jurassic period in what is now Colorado, Portugal, Germany, and possibly England, Spain, Tanzania, and Uruguay. It contains two currently recognized species, Torvosaurus tanneri and Torvosaurus gurneyi, plus a third unnamed species from Germany.
In 1979, the type species Torvosaurus tanneri was named. Measuring around 9 meters (30 ft) long and weighing approximately 2–2.4 metric tons (2.2–2.6 short tons), T. tanneri was among the largest terrestrial carnivores in North America during the Late Jurassic. Specimens of Torvosaurus gurneyi were measured up to 10 meters (33 ft) in length and 4–5 metric tons (4.4–5.5 short tons) in body mass. Both species are regarded as being similar in size to each other. Based on bone morphology, Torvosaurus is thought to have had very powerful short arms.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Torvosaurus (revision 1380262541), 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.
