Metriacanthosaurus

Type Species: Metriacanthosaurus parkeri

Classification: Dinosauria – Saurischia – Theropoda - Carnosauria - Allosauroidea – Metriacanthosauridae – Metriacanthosaurinae

Time Period: Late Jurassic

Location: Europe (England) 

Diet: Carnivore   

The twenty-six-foot-long theropod Metriacanthosaurus roamed the wooded islands of prehistoric England. Its remains were found in the shallow marine deposits of the so-called ‘Oxford Sea.’ Though Metriacanthosaurus is named for the height of its neural spines, they weren’t actually overly tall for theropods; similar-size spines are found in Megalosaurus, Sinraptor, and Ceratosaurus. Metriacanthosaurus is believed to be closely related to Yangchuanosaurus of China. This large predator likely prowled the island beaches, scavenging the washed-up bodies of marine reptiles and oceangoing crocodylomorphs, and would’ve hunted English sauropods, early ornithopods, and stegosaurs.