Dilophosauridae (from Greek "two-crested lizards") is the name of a family of medium-sized predatory dinosaurs. It belongs to the clade of theropoda, i.e. bipedal and mostly primarily carnivorous dinosaurs.
Dilophosauridae
Temporal range: Late Triassic-Early Jurassic, 209-188 mya
According to current knowledge, dilophourides lived only in the Upper Triassic and Lower Jurassic periods, about 209 to 188 million years ago. They were present on several continents (Connected at the time) and were therefore widely distributed geographically. They reached a length of 5 to 8 meters and a maximum weight of about 500 kilograms. So they were lightly built and were probably able to run fast. They hunted live prey in the form of herbivorous dinosaurs and other vertebrates. They usually had very slender jaws and a distinct comb on their heads in adulthood. Their fossils have also been discovered in Antarctica (genus Cryolophosaurus). However, the exact systematics of this group remains uncertain.
These medium-sized predatory dinosaurs were relatively slender and probably could run relatively quickly.[1]
