Reptile · GBIF taxon 4822665
Megalosaurus bucklandii
Megalosaurus bucklandiiMegalosaurus bucklandii was a robust bipedal predator that roamed the warm island archipelago of Middle Jurassic Britain roughly 166 million years ago. Armed with serrated, blade-like teeth and powerful hindquarters, it hunted terrestrial herbivores and scavenged marine carcasses along coastal lagoons. Historically recognized as the first non-avian dinosaur formally described and named, its discovery fundamentally altered humanity's perspective on deep geological time.
CarnivorePrehistoric
Licensed reference(c) the paleobear, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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ExtinctConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXExtinctRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Cetiosaurus
- Ornithopod dinosaurs
- Early stegosaurs
ThreatsEnvironmental change and regional sea-level fluctuations during the Jurassic
HabitatsSubtropical coastal scrub, estuaries, and island floodplains
Life span30–45 years
Classification
- FamilyMegalosaurinidae
- GenusMegalosaurus
- SpeciesMegalosaurus bucklandii
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskHigh
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is high
- Extinct prehistoric reptile known only from fossils; completely safe to observe in museum collections.
Responsible observation
- Museum Viewing: Study the famous historic lower jaw displayed at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History.
- Fossil Formations: Explore Middle Jurassic exposures of the Taynton Limestone to understand its ancient paleoenvironment.
Prey Paul Stainthorp from United Kingdom / CC BY-SA 2.0 · cc-by-sa
Image unavailableClose Relative 
Close Relative Etemenanki3 / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-saClose Relative
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