Species · GBIF taxon 4967099
Torvosaurus tanneri
Torvosaurus tanneriTorvosaurus tanneri dominated the semi-arid floodplains of Late Jurassic North America as a massive, heavily built apex predator. Equipped with muscular forelimbs, prominent thumb claws, and deep jaws lined with serrated teeth up to thirteen centimeters long, it wielded devastating bite power. It hunted along waterways and forested margins, likely ambushing armored dinosaurs and scavenging large sauropod carcasses.
CarnivorePrehistoricApex Predator
Licensed referenceEtemenanki3 / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
—observations
—countries
—peak records
ExtinctConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXExtinctRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Stegosaurus
- Camptosaurus
- Sauropod juveniles
ThreatsEnvironmental shifts, prey scarcity, interspecific competition
HabitatsRiparian woodlands, floodplains, and semi-arid scrub
Life spanEstimated 25–35 years
Classification
- FamilyMegalosauridae
- SpeciesTorvosaurus tanneri
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Extinct species known only from fossil remains; entirely safe to examine in museum collections.
Responsible observation
- Museum Study: Examine skull casts to observe the robust jaw profile and serrated teeth.
- Field Ethics: Report any discovered fossil material directly to regional paleontologists.
- Comparative Anatomy: Compare its robust forelimb bones to the lighter limbs of contemporary allosaurs.
Competitor (c) Allosaurus_SDNHM.jpg, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Competitor Jens Lallensack / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
Prey (c) Ryan Somma, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Image unavailablePrey 
Close Relative Etemenanki3 / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
Same Family (c) the paleobear, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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