Dilophosaurus
Di-lo-fo-sore-us
Name meaning: Two Crested lizard
Time Period: Sinemurian (Early Jurassic) 195.2–183.7 Mya
Locations: Arizona
Taxonomy: Theropoda-Dilophosauridae
Subspecies: D. wetherilli
Characteristics ~ ~ ~ ~
18 feet long but only around 880 pounds being lightly built. Dilophosaurus was the largest animal on the land in Early Jurassic North America. The animal is known for its two large crests displaying from the skull. They would have been covered in keratin and likely brightly colored; they were used for recognising individuals and attracting mates. Its skull also had a subnarial gap a notch between the premaxilla and the maxilla; it shared these traits with Coelophysis and other Coelophysids of the Triassic only its larger and more noticeable. Another trait they shared is 4 digit hands, both had four fingers with one vestigial finger that did not have any function. Dilophosaurus had a relatively weak bite overall but long sharply serrated teeth snagging into prey like Scutellosaurus, Meganaposaurus, Sarahsaurus, Synapsids-mammal ancestors as well as some predators like Crocodilomorphs and Meganaposaurus were potential prey for Dilophosaurus. But fish might also be a large part of its diet; the subnarial gap isn't a trait that supports high bite force but it’s a trait seen in piscivores like Spinosaurids as well as other traits like the dentary the furthest bone of the lower jaw is curved upward, and it had a large nares or nostril.
History & Fossils ~ ~ ~ ~
Dilophosaurus was originally discovered by Samuel Welles in 1954 classified as a subspecies of Megalosaurus M. Wetherelli. It wasn't till 1970 when Welles would discover a more complete skull with the crests that it got it’s name Dilophosaurus
Dilophosauridae is a more derived group from Coelophysidae it only contains Dilophosaurus and Dracovenator but its placement was confusing often grouping it with other crested theropods like Cryolophosaurus and Sinosaurus.
Media Depictions ~ ~ ~ ~
Jurassic ParkThe Jurassic Park films Dilophosaurus has been heavily modified from the novel interpretation. The novel version is at its adult size, features bright colors being a red crest, a yellow body, and a yellow-green underbelly with black splotches across. The very vibrant colors remind me of dart frogs, because the Dilophosaurus is venomous, spitting its venom like a spitting cobra at distances of up to 40 feet. The park has had to be redesigned several times to account for this The film version is described as juvenile, even though no adults have been seen throughout the franchise, so I believe it has been retconned. Being a light jungle green and having a frill like that of a frilled dragon, suggested by Spielberg to make it “stand out from Velociraptor instead of making it look like the novel version. Anyways, Dilophosaurus' Jurassic Park appearance has been a consistent fan favorite and is definitely one of the most memorable scenes in the film. Then for some reason Dilophosaurus did not make another appearance until Jurassic World Dominion so it can kill Lewis Dodgson for poetic justice. It also will reappear in Jurassic World Rebirth; there isn't that much different between each design except for the colors and patterns on the Frill.
Prehistoric KingdomDiloposaurus has 3 different skins: Dune, Clouded, and Snowmelt with Dune being my favorite. It requires fish or meat and prefers to live in deserts or wetlands. And it is recommended to be placed within medium strength fences.
The IsleDilophosaurus is primarily a nocturnal hunter and has a venomous bite that causes Hallucinations and loss of vision. Other predators like Allosaurus, Ceratosaurus, Utahraptor or Carnotaurus. can outpower and steal kills from Dilophosaurus especially since it is a loud and slow eater. It’s best at hunting the small vulnerable herbivores and baby dinosaurs at night to best take advantage of its perks. (I don’t know much about the Isle).
