page_title: Torvosaurus
section_title: Fauna and habitat in Europe
hierarchical_section_title: Torvosaurus / Paleoecology / Fauna and habitat in Europe
caption_attribution_description: Femur and tibia of Megalosauridae from the Late Jurassic of Portugal. Distal portion of a left femur (ML 632) of a megalosaurid tentatively referred to Torvosaurus gurneyi in A, anterior; B, lateral; C, posterior; D, medial; E, proximal; and F, distal views. Incomplete left tibia (ML 430) of Torvosaurus sp. (and tentatively referred to Torvosaurus gurneyi), with reconstruction of missing part of cnemial crest, in A, anterior; B, lateral; C, posterior; D, medial; E, proximal; and F, distal views. Abbreviations: asc, contact with astragalus; ccr, cnemial crest ridge; cnc, basal part of cnemial crest; ctf, crista tibiofibularis; dep, anterodistal depression; dir, distal ridges; exg, extensor groove; ffl, fibular flange; flg, flexor groove; lc, lateral condyle; mc, medial condyle; mdc, medio-distal crest; sab, supracetabular buttress. Scale bars = 10 cm.
context_page_description: Torvosaurus is a genus of carnivorous megalosauroid theropod dinosaur that lived approximately 153 to 148 million years ago during the Late Jurassic Period in what is now Colorado and Portugal. It contains two currently recognized species, Torvosaurus tanneri and Torvosaurus gurneyi.
  In 1979 the type species Torvosaurus tanneri was named: it was a large, heavily built, bipedal carnivore, that could grow to a length of about 10 m. T. tanneri was among the largest carnivores of its time, together with Epanterias and Saurophaganax. Specimens referred to Torvosaurus gurneyi were initially claimed to be up to twelve metres long, but later shown to be smaller. Based on bone morphology Torvosaurus is thought to have had short but very powerful arms.
context_section_description: The Lourinhã Formation is also Kimmeridgian-Tithonian in age. The environment is coastal, and therefore has a strong marine influence. Its flora and fauna are very similar to the Morrison. Torvosaurus appears to be the top predator here. It lived alongside European species of Allosaurus (A. europaeus), Ceratosaurus, Stegosaurus and presumably Camptosaurus. Theropod Lourinhanosaurus also stalked the area. Lusotitan was the largest sauropod in the region, while the diplodocids Dinheirosaurus and Lourinhasaurus were also present. Dacentrurus and Miragaia were both stegosaurs, while Dracopelta was an ankylosaurian. Draconyx was an iguanodontid related to Camptosaurus. Due to the marine nature of the Lourinhã Formation, sharks, plesiochelyid turtles, and teleosaurid crocodyliforms are also present.
caption: Femur and tibia referred to T. gurneyi
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