middle & late jurassic dinosaurs library

 

The Middle and Late Jurassic Periods were a time in which the dinosaurs took over the world. Learn more about the Middle and Late Jurassic dinosaurs, including the Yangchuanosaurus, Megalosaurus, and Archaepteryx.

Featured Article:  Datousaurus

Datousaurus may have been an animal that traveled by itself and ate the leaves of the tallest plants in its environment. It lived in the Middle Jurassic Period in what is now modern day China. See more »

Allosaurus

Allosaurus

Allosaurus was the most powerful, fearsome, and deadly dinosaur of the Late Jurassic. Until the Tyrannosaurus appeared this dinosaur was the largest predator to roam the Earth.

See more »
Apatosaurus

Apatosaurus

Apatosaurus is perhaps one of the most famous dinosaurs because of the size of the animal. A fully grown Apatosaurus could reach up to 70 feet in length. The size of this dinosaur is what earned it the nickname "thunder lizard."

See more »
Archaepteryx

Archaepteryx

Archaepteryx was a very unique dinosaur in that it resembled a bird. It is known from only six fossils, but those fossils may be the most famous bones in the world. The Archaepteryx is the dinosaur that resembles modern birds the most.

See more »
Camarasaurus

Camarasaurus

One of the most common sauropods of the Late Jurassic was the Camarasaurus. It was a large, 25-ton plant-eater was strong and massive, with powerful legs and a strong neck and tail.

See more »
Camptosaurus

Camptosaurus

Camptosaurus was one of the smallest plant-eating dinosaurs of the Late Jurassic. It weighed no more than 1,000 pounds and stood just five feet tall at the hips. Its strong legs were designed to help it avoid any predators.

See more »
Datousaurus

Datousaurus

Datousaurus may have been an animal that traveled by itself and ate the leaves of the tallest plants in its environment. It lived in the Middle Jurassic Period in what is now modern day China.

See more »
Diplodocus

Diplodocus

Diplodocus was an incredibly large dinosaur. It is the longest dinosaur known from complete skeletons. A fully grown adult could reach a length of 90 feet. Skeletons of this massive dinosaur have been found in North America.

See more »
Euhelopus

Euhelopus

The Euhelopus is a very large dinosaur that lived in what is now China. Only a partial skeleton of this animal has been found, but it is estimated that it weighed between 15 and 20 tons.

See more »
Huayangosaurus

Huayangosaurus

Huayangosaurus was a type of stegosaur that lived in the Middle Jurassic in what is now China. The most prominent feature on this dinosaur is the rows of bony plating that ran down its back.

See more »
Megalosaurus

Megalosaurus

Megalosaurus was the first dinosaur that was described as a reptile. This dinosaur is often described as being part of the "waste bucket" genus because so many bones from other dinosaurs have been mistaken for being that of the Megalosaurus!

See more »
Middle and Late Jurassic Periods

Middle and Late Jurassic Periods

The Middle and Late Jurassic Periods were a time in which the dinosaurs took over the world. This is also the time period when Pangea broke apart, which separated many species of dinosaurs.

See more »
Omeisaurus

Omeisaurus

Omeisaurus is considered the most common of the Late Jurassic Chinese sauropods. The most prominent characteristic of this dinosaur is the extremely long neck the was uncommon for most North American dinosaurs.

See more »
Ornitholestes

Ornitholestes

Ornitholestes is a dinosaur that is noted for using its hands to grasp its prey. Each of the fingers had razor sharp claws. The animal weighed about 35 pounds and grew to a length of about 6 feet.

See more »
Othnielia

Othnielia

Othnielia is a smaller dinosaur that wasn't named until recently. It probably survived on a diet of plants and small insects. The limbs also suggest that this dinosaur would have been a good runner.

See more »
Patagosaurus

Patagosaurus

Patagosaurus is one of only two sauropods known from the Middle Jurassic of South America. This dinosaur is known from a nearly complete skeleton that was found. the only thing that was missing is the head.

See more »
Shunosaurus

Shunosaurus

Shunosaurus was the dominant plant-eater of Middle Jurassic China. It could feed on plants and leaves high above the ground that most other herbivores could not reach.

See more »
Stegosaurus

Stegosaurus

No dinosaur has been the subject of as much controversy as Stegosaurus, the armored dinosaur of the Late Jurassic. For more than a hundred years, this strange plant-eater has baffled paleontologists and captured the imagination of the public.

See more »
Supersaurus

Supersaurus

Supersaurus was a dinosaur that truly deserved its name. It measured about 100 feet in length and lived in North America. This dinosaur lived on a diet that consisted mostly of chutes and leaves from the tops of trees.

See more »

Brachiosaurus

The Brachiosaurus is a unique dinosaur because of the placement of the nostril openings, which were slightly above the eyes. Its front legs were longer than the rear, which made it able to eat the leaves from high tree branches.

See more »

Ceratosaurus

Ceratosaurus was perhaps the greatest rival of the Allosaurus. It had a huge head with powerful jaws, and a massive body. It also had powerful legs which allowed it to run at high speeds.

See more »