Dinosaur Sizes

Dinosaurs were terrestrial vertebrate animals, which dominated the world for more than 160 million years. They lived from the late Triassic period until the closing parts of the Cretaceous period. Today, fossil records show that modern-day birds originated from theropod dinosaurs of the Jurassic period. Overall, more than 500 distinct genera have been identified, with over 1,000 species. Besides these highly important facts, there are more to learn about them including the different dinosaur sizes.

The Sizes of Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs came in various shapes and sizes, depending on where they belong in the more than 1,000 different species available. For instance, theropod dinosaurs under the genus Torvosaurus existed in the late Jurassic period. Their remains were found in Portugal and in North America. Their length reached 30 to 36 feet or 9 to 11 meters, while their weight was usually close to 2.2 tons. Dinosaurs under the genus Eustreptospondylus lived during the Middle Jurassic period. They grew at an average length of 15.2 feet or 4.63 meters.

Another interesting theropod dinosaur is the genus Piatnitzkysaurus, the fossils of which were found in Argentina. They lived during the Middle Jurassic period, which grew at an average length of 14.11 feet or 4.3 meters. Huge meat eating dinosaurs can be found under the genus Megalosaurus, which existed during the Middle Jurassic period. Based on modern reconstructions, these dinosaurs grew at an average length 29.53 feet or 9 meters.

Megalosaurid theropod dinosaurs under the genus Afrovenator lived during the Early Cretaceous period somewhere in northern Africa. As a bipedal predator, they featured three claws on every hand and a mouthful of very sharp teeth. They measured 30 feet or 9 meters long, starting from the snout down to the tip of the tail. Known for the bizarre-looking crest found on top of its head, the Cryolophosaurus is a carnivorous dinosaur that lived during the Early Jurassic period. It had an average length of 20 to 26 feet or 6 to 8 meters. It weighed more or less a single ton.

Under the genus Camarasaurus, you can find a group of herbivorous dinosaurs, which existed during the late Jurassic period. They grew at an average length of 60 feet or 18 meters and weighed close to 19.8 tons. A genus of sauropod dinosaurs, the Brachiosaurus existed in the Late Jurassic period as well as in the Early Cretaceous period. It is definitely one of the largest creatures to have graced the face of the Earth. It grew at an average length of 82 feet or 25 meters. It had an estimated weight of about 28.7 tons.