| Metriacanthosaurus | |
|---|---|
| insert image | |
| Name meaning | "moderate-spined lizard" |
| Code name | |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Height | 2 meters (7ft) |
| Length | 10 and half meters (34.4ft) |
| Weight | 1 ton |
| Birth Type | Egg |
| Range | Isla Nublar |
| Novel appearances | none |
| Film appearances | Jurassic Park (film) |
Metriacanthosaurus was a Carnosaurid Theropod that lived during the late Jurassic Period of Europe, hunting contemporary herbivores, such as Callovosaurus.
In Jurassic Park (film)
Metriacanthosaurus is not seen in person in the movies, but its name can be seen next to a vial in the cold storage room, and on the map of the park. According to vertebrate paleontologist Thomas R. Holtz, Jr. this was probably meant to refer to Yangchuanosaurus (which whas then classified as a species of the Metriacanthosaur genus) as he explains in this e-mail:
..."Metriacanthosaurus shangyouensis". In other words, it was what most authors (?including Greg Paul, who was the first to transfer the species) would call Yangchuanosaurus shangyouensis.
Unlike the very fragmentary Metriacanthosaurus, Yangchuanosaurus is known from a lot of the skeleon. This restoration closely follows Greg Paul's excellent restoration.
(As a side note, Speilberg & Crichton likely followed the same generic reference in "Jurassic Park", as "Metriacanthosaurus" is one of the dinosaur taxa whose DNA vials Newman..., er, I mean Nedry steals. Presumably, S & C were thinking about M. shangyouensis, which is on the cover of Predatory Dinos of the World, rather than M. parkeri).[1]