Eustreptospondylus (Well curved vertebra)
Yoo-strep-to-spon-di-lus
Alick Walker - 1964
Carnivore
Estimated 6-7 meters long
Large Theropod
E. oxoniensis (type)
England
Late Jurassic, 161-155 million years ago
Eustreptospondylus Facts
Eustreptospondylus is a genus of theropod dinosaur that lived during the Late Jurassic period, approximately 161-155 million years ago. It was a medium-sized carnivorous dinosaur that measured about 6-7 meters (20-23 feet) in length and weighed around 500-600 kilograms (1100-1300 pounds).
Eustreptospondylus had a slender body, a long tail, and sharp, serrated teeth designed for ripping and tearing flesh. It had powerful hind legs with three-toed feet, which it used to run after prey. The arms were relatively short and had sharp claws, which were used to grasp and hold onto prey.
Fossils of Eustreptospondylus have been found in England and Portugal. It is considered to be one of the earliest and most primitive members of the group of theropod dinosaurs known as megalosaurs, which were the dominant predators of the Jurassic period. Eustreptospondylus is also one of the few theropod dinosaurs known from the Late Jurassic of Europe.
