Basic info Taxonomic history Classification Included Taxa
Morphology Ecology and taphonomy External Literature Search Age range and collections

Torvosaurus tanneri

Reptilia - Theropoda - Megalosauridae

Taxonomy
Torvosaurus tanneri was named by Galton and Jensen (1979). Its type specimen is BYU 2002 and is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Dry Mesa Quarry [BYU], which is in a Kimmeridgian/Tithonian channel sandstone in the Morrison Formation of Colorado.

It was recombined as Megalosaurus tanneri by Paul (1988).

Synonyms
Synonymy list
YearName and author
1979Torvosaurus tanneri Galton and Jensen
1981Torvosaurus tanneri McIntosh p. 8
1988Megalosaurus tanneri Paul p. 282
1990Torvosaurus tanneri Molnar et al. p. 192
1991Torvosaurus tanneri Miller et al. p. 31
1992Edmarka rex Bakker et al. p. 2 figs. 1, 5, 7, 10, 12-15
1992Torvosaurus tanneri Bakker et al. p. 2
1994Torvosaurus tanneri Britt and Naylor p. 256
1996Torvosaurus tanneri Molnar et al. p. 671
1997Torvosaurus tanneri Smith p. 457
2000Torvosaurus tanneri Chure p. 2
2000Torvosaurus tanneri Foster and Chure p. 8 fig. 3
2003Torvosaurus tanneri Rauhut p. 28
2004Torvosaurus tanneri Holtz, Jr. et al. p. 72
2005Torvosaurus tanneri Yates p. 118
2006Torvosaurus tanneri Chure et al. p. 236
2006Torvosaurus tanneri Hunt and Lucas p. 117
2006Torvosaurus tanneri Langer and Benton p. 337 fig. 10
2006Torvosaurus tanneri Mateus p. 227
2006Edmarka rex Mateus p. 231
2006Torvosaurus tanneri Mateus et al. p. 127
2007Torvosaurus tanneri Gishlick and Gauthier p. 577
2007Edmarka rex Sampson and Witmer p. 38
2007Torvosaurus tanneri Sampson and Witmer p. 38
2010Torvosaurus tanneri Mateus and Milàn p. 254
2011Torvosaurus tanneri Hone et al. p. 502
2012Torvosaurus tanneri Carrano et al. p. 244
2013Torvosaurus tanneri Hanson and Makovicky p. 775
2014Torvosaurus tanneri Cobos et al. p. 37
2014Torvosaurus tanneri Dalman p. 161
2014Torvosaurus tanneri Hendrickx and Mateus p. 8–9
2017Torvosaurus tanneri Ezcurra p. 518
2019Torvosaurus tanneri Brougham et al. p. 13
2020Torvosaurus tanneri Rauhut et al. p. 2

Is something missing? Join the Paleobiology Database and enter the data

RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
Bilateria
EubilateriaAx 1987
Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
Tetrapoda
Reptiliomorpha
Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
Cotylosauria()
Amniota
Sauropsida
classReptilia
subclassEureptilia()
Romeriida
RankNameAuthor
Diapsida()
Archosauromorpha(Huene 1946)
Crocopoda
ArchosauriformesGauthier 1986
Eucrocopoda
Archosauria()
informalAvemetatarsalia
Ornithodira
Dinosauromorpha
Dinosauriformes
Dinosauria()
orderTheropoda
Neotheropoda
AverostraPaul 2002
Tetanurae
superfamilyMegalosauroidea()
familyMegalosauridae()
subfamilyMegalosaurinae
genusTorvosaurus
speciestanneri

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

Torvosaurus tanneri Galton and Jensen 1979
show all | hide all
Invalid names: Edmarka rex Bakker et al. 1992 [synonym]
Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
R. T. Bakker et al. 1992 (Edmarka rex)Diagnosis for genus and species: Closest to Torvosaurus tanneri but differs in retaining the primitive condition of a jugal that is thin medial-laterally, relatively longer and lower in lateral view, and with an orbital margin that is wider front-to-back. Further differs in the derived character of a much wider postorbital process on the jugal, with an enlarged, recessed facet on the outer surface for an expanded ventral ramus of the postorbital.
M. T. Carrano et al. 2012Megalosauroid with: (1) very shallow maxillary fossa; (2) ‘fused’ paradental plates (Britt 1991); (3) pronounced rim around anterior face of cervical centra (Britt 1991); (4) expanded fossae in posterior dorsal and anterior caudal vertebrae centra forming enlarged, deep openings (modified from Britt 1991) that we interpret as pneumatic; (5) highly ossified puboischiadic plate (modified from Britt 1991); and (6) distal expansion of ischium with prominent lateral midline crest and oval outline in lateral view.
C. Hendrickx and O. Mateus 2014Megalosauroid theropod with a protuberant ridge on the anterior part of the medial shelf, posterior to the anteromedial process, and an interdental wall falling short relative to the lateral wall (i.e., ventral margin of the interdental wall much more dorsal than the ventral margin of the lateral wall) and formed by the fusion of interdental plates with broad V-shaped ventral margin.
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: hydroxyapatiteo
Entire body: yeso
Adult length: 10 to < 100o
Adult width: 1.0 to < 10o
Adult height: 1.0 to < 10o
Architecture: compact or denseo
Ontogeny: accretion, modification of partso
Grouping: solitaryo
Environment: terrestrialo
Locomotion: actively mobileo
Life habit: ground dwellingo
Diet: carnivoreo
Reproduction: oviparouso
Dispersal: direct/internalo
Dispersal 2: mobileo
Created: 2004-12-14 12:50:08
Modified: 2004-12-14 14:50:08
Source: o = order
Reference: Marsh 1875

Age range: base of the Late/Upper Kimmeridgian to the top of the Early/Lower Tithonian or 155.70000 to 145.00000 Ma

Collections (7 total)


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Kimmeridgian157.3 - 152.1USA (Colorado) Torvosaurus tanneri (48171)
Kimmeridgian - Tithonian157.3 - 145.0USA (Wyoming) Edmarka rex (49627 49628) Torvosaurus tanneri (39370 57894)
Late/Upper Kimmeridgian - Early/Lower Tithonian155.7 - 145.0USA (Colorado) Theropoda indet. (type locality: 45975)
Early/Lower Tithonian150.8 - 145.0USA (Utah) Torvosaurus sp. (21852)