Dilophosaurus
Name Origin
Two-Crested Lizard
Family
Dilophosauridae
Classification
Diapsida, Saurischia, Theropoda
Habitat (Discovery Location)
United States, China
Period
Approximately 190 million years ago (Early Jurassic)
Length
Approximately 5 to 7 meters
Weight
400 kilograms
Diet
Carnivore (Meat-eater)
JURASSIC
PARK / WORLD Featured Dinosaur
Appearance in Jurassic Park
This dinosaur left a lasting impression on audiences in the Jurassic Park series due to its unique and fictionalized biology. In its debut film, bold cinematic interpretations were added that differ significantly from the actual fossil record.
The most iconic feature of the film's Dilophosaurus is its expandable neck frill, reminiscent of a frilled-neck lizard. The sight of it spreading this frill as an intimidation display left a strong impression on the audience. However, no evidence for this frill has ever been found in the actual fossil record; it is a purely cinematic creation. This fictional trait became so famous that Dilophosaurus (and characters based on it) are often designed with a frill in subsequent media.
Just as famous as the frill is its ability to spit venom. In the film, it is nicknamed the "Spitter" and secretes a black, viscous venom from glands in its mouth. This venom is portrayed as being powerful enough to cause blindness if not treated immediately with an antivenom, and its terrifying nature was fully demonstrated in the scene where it attacks Dennis Nedry. Like the frill, this venom-spitting ability is a complete fabrication with no basis in the fossil record.
The background for this creative decision relates to a paleontological debate taking place at the time. When the original novel was being written, there was an ongoing debate about how Dilophosaurus could have captured prey, given that its jaw was perceived as surprisingly weak and fragile. The author, Michael Crichton, cleverly utilized this mystery, creating the Dilophosaurus's fictional biology based on the hypothesis that "even with a weak jaw, it could hunt effectively if it had venom."
Furthermore, its physical size was drastically altered for the film. The individual in the film is depicted as quite small, only about two meters long, leading to speculation that it may have been a juvenile. This was the exact opposite directorial choice made for the Velociraptor (which was scaled up to be more terrifying), making the Dilophosaurus one of the most heavily fictionalized dinosaurs in the film.
Despite its brief screen time, the visual impact of the Dilophosaurus spreading its frill and spitting venom was immense. Even though it has barely appeared in subsequent films, the image established in Jurassic Park had a definitive influence on the Dilophosaurus's portrayal in pop culture, including games and animation, cementing this fictional version in the public consciousness.
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Description
Dilophosaurus was a medium-sized carnivorous dinosaur that lived in North America during the Early Jurassic period.
Its name means “two-crested lizard,” which is derived from the two half-moon-shaped crests on its head.
While it was smaller than the later-thriving Allosaurus, its lightweight body is believed to have made it the fastest runner among the animals of its time.
It was able to run faster than any other animal of its time.
The Surprising Ecology, Different from the Movies
In the movie Jurassic Park, Dilophosaurus was portrayed as a venom-spitting dinosaur, but no evidence of this has ever been found.
Dilophosaurus was about 5 to 7 meters long and slightly taller than a human, which made it one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs of the Early Jurassic period.
Despite its slender build, it was a typical theropod, with a mouth full of sharp, thin teeth and sharp claws on its forelimbs.
Its teeth were well-suited for slicing soft meat, and it has been suggested that it may have been a scavenger.
Furthermore, because its upper jaw curved like a hook, it is also believed to have played a role in holding open space when it put its head into an animal’s carcass to eat its internal organs.
The Mysterious Role of the Crests
The two crests that are the trademark of Dilophosaurus were made of bone but were as thin as paper and very fragile, making them unsuitable as weapons.
There are various theories about their role, but the most plausible ones suggest they were used for display among their own kind or as a marker to distinguish them from other species.
It is also known that they had air sacs, so it is possible that they inflated them to intimidate enemies or send signals to other Dilophosaurus.
They may have also served as a “visor” to protect their eyes from strong sunlight.
The Mysterious Role of the Crests
Vast Habitat and Clues to Evolution
The first Dilophosaurus fossil was discovered in Arizona, USA, but a very similar fossil was later found in China.
While the Chinese fossil has now been classified as a separate genus called Sinosaurus, this fact suggests that Dilophosaurus lived in a wide range of areas during a time when the supercontinent Pangea had not yet fully split.
Footprint fossils have also been found in places like Italy, which further suggests that they had a wide habitat around the world.