Gojirasaurus
Name Origin
Godzilla Lizard (Named after the monster Godzilla)
Family
Coelophysidae
Classification
Diapsida, Saurischia, Theropoda
Habitat (Discovery Location)
United States
Period
Approximately 220 million years ago (Late Triassic)
Length
Approximately 5.5 meters
Weight
Approximately 150–200 kg
Diet
Carnivore (Meat-eater)
You might also like... 
-
Gigantoraptor- Classification
- Theropods
- Characteristics
- Omnivorous
- Feathered
- Era
- Cretaceous period
- Pachycephalosaurus
- Classification
- Marginocephalia
- Characteristics
- Herbivorous
- Era
- Cretaceous period
- Pteranodon
- Classification
- Flying reptiles
- Characteristics
- Carnivorous
- Era
- Cretaceous period
- Allosaurus
- Classification
- Theropods
- Characteristics
- Carnivorous
- Era
- Jurassic period
-
Sponsored Links
-
Sponsored Links
Description
When you hear the name “Godzilla,” what comes to mind?
Is it the giant monster from Japan’s world-famous tokusatsu (special effects) movies, breathing radioactive fire and toppling skyscrapers?
However, did you know that a real dinosaur once roamed the ancient Earth bearing “Godzilla” as its official scientific name?
That dinosaur is “Gojirasaurus.”
This isn’t just a gimmick.
Living in the Triassic period—the dawn of the dinosaur era—they were “real-life Godzillas” boasting immense size that overwhelmed other dinosaurs.
The Kaiju-Loving Paleontologist and His Insistence on “Gojira”
The Namer was a Tokyo-Born Godzilla Fan
Behind the shocking name of Gojirasaurus lies the passion of one paleontologist.
The name was given by the renowned paleontologist Dr. Kenneth Carpenter.
He was actually born in Tokyo, and it is said that watching Godzilla movies in Japan during his childhood left a strong impression on him, eventually inspiring him to pursue the path of paleontology.
For him, Godzilla was a special entity that defined his life.
In 1997, when he discovered that the carnivorous dinosaur he was studying was a predator of exceptional size for its time, he decided without hesitation to crown it with the name of the “King of the Monsters.”
“Gojira,” not “Godzilla”
There is a particular insistence regarding the scientific name.
Instead of the English spelling “Godzilla,” he deliberately adopted the Japanese pronunciation “Gojira,” naming it “Gojirasaurus.”
The spelling of its full scientific name, Gojirasaurus quayi, reflects the doctor’s deep respect for Japanese culture and his cherished childhood memories.
The “Real-Life Godzilla” That Ruled the Triassic Ecosystem
“Largest Class” Size Even as an Immature Individual
Fossils of Gojirasaurus were discovered in New Mexico, USA, in 1981.
Although the specimen found was an “immature individual” still in the process of growing, it was estimated to be about 5.5 meters long and weigh 150–200 kg.
It is believed that a fully grown adult would have reached a length of about 6.5 meters.
To the Top of the Ecosystem
About 220 million years ago (Late Triassic), when they lived, most dinosaurs were still small.
With relatives like Coelophysis (3 meters long) being the mainstream, Gojirasaurus exceeding 6 meters was exceptionally huge.
Given its ferocious nature, there is no doubt that it was one of the largest predators in North America at the time and reigned at the top of the ecosystem.
Like the movie Godzilla, they too were the “Kings” of the Triassic era.
Differences from the Other “Godzillasaurus”
The Intersection of Movie and Reality
In the movie Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991), a fictional dinosaur called “Godzillasaurus” appears as the pre-mutation form of the monster Godzilla.
However, other than the similar name, it is completely different from the real “Gojirasaurus.”
Although their eras and ecologies differ, it is fascinating how the worlds of science and fiction are linked through the legendary icon of “Godzilla.”