Dinosaur genus

Torvosaurus

Galton and Jensen 1979

Torvosaurus is a dinosaur genus known from bones, found in rocks 161.5–143.1 million years old, in 4 countries, most often the United States and Portugal.

Confidence labels

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How sure are we?6 high7 medium4 lowHow we rate confidence

Confidence labels are switched off. Facts with low confidence, or where sources disagree, still carry a small dot: tap it for the reason.

At a glance

Data as of 12 October 2026

161.5–143.1 Ma

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114366

Solid: the ages of its dated fossils, 161.5–143.1 million years ago (Omnisaura's calculation). Pale: the published range, 165.3–143.1 million years ago, which also counts records Omnisaura leaves out.

The last non-bird dinosaurs died out 66 million years ago. That's as far from us as the end of this bar.

Named by: Galton and Jensen 1979
high
high: PBDB and Wikidata agree.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Described in: P. M. Galton, J. A. Jensen (1979). A new large theropod dinosaur from the Upper Jurassic of Colorado. Brigham Young University Geology Studies 26(1): 1–12.
high
high: PBDB gives this publication for the name; its author and year match the naming authority (Galton and Jensen 1979), on which PBDB and Wikidata agree.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. The publication the Paleobiology Database gives as the authority for this genus name, usually the one that first named and described it.
Type species: Torvosaurus tanneri
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Lived: Callovian to Tithonian, 165.3–143.1 million years ago
high
high: PBDB and NHM agree.
Omnisaura calculation161.5–143.1 million years ago, from its dated fossil records
medium
medium: Omnisaura's calculation from 18 confirmed PBDB records.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Fossils found in: United States
high
high: NHM and PBDB both record it.
Portugal
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (5 records).
Germany
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Tanzania
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
mixed
mixed: Levels differ between entries; each has its own.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database; Natural History Museum Data Portal. How it was chosen: Union of all sources (ISO 3166).
Rock formations: Morrison Formation
high
high: NHM and PBDB both record it.
Lourinhã
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (5 records).
Tacuarembó
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (3 records).
Ornatenton
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Tendaguru Formation
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
mixed
mixed: Levels differ between entries; each has its own.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database; Natural History Museum Data Portal. How it was chosen: Canonical names, automatic and editor-approved matches applied.
Family: Megalosauridae
high
high: PBDB and NHM agree.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database; Natural History Museum Data Portal. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Parent group: Megalosaurinae
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Order: Saurischia
medium
medium: Only NHM gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Sources
Given by: Natural History Museum Data Portal. How it was chosen: Gap filled from NHM.
Known from: Bones
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database (what the name was based on).

Sources: Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0), Natural History Museum Data Portal (CC0 1.0), Wikidata (CC0 1.0)Confidence levels and gaps are Omnisaura's own assessment.

Gaps are answers

What isn't known yet

Common names: no source we use gives it yet.
What it was named after: no source we use gives it yet.
Held back: 9 fossil records left out: identified only tentatively (for example "cf." or "?").
Resting on one source: 3 facts come from a single source with nothing against them (rated medium): type species (PBDB); parent group (PBDB); order (NHM).

Size, diet and behaviour aren't covered yet. Omnisaura leaves them out rather than guess.

Where sources disagree

None open. Where our sources overlap, they agree on everything shown here.

Did it meet…?

Did Torvosaurus meet ?

No. Torvosaurus had gone at least 59.5 million years before Tyrannosaurus appears in the fossil record.

Going by the ages and rock formations of their dated fossils, as on the map. Compare their fossil sites on the map.

Lived alongside

Genera found in the same rock formations, from rocks of the same age.

Allosaurus Camarasaurus Stegosaurus Diplodocus Apatosaurus Camptosaurus Ceratosaurus Dryosaurus Nanosaurus Brontosaurus Giraffatitan Barosaurus Brachiosaurus Kentrosaurus Dicraeosaurus Coelurusand 34 more

Same family

Other genera in Megalosauridae with a full profile.

Afrovenator Megalosaurus Piveteausaurus

Where its fossils were found

15 fossil sites, with present-day and ancient positions

Open the map at this time

Cite this page

Omnisaura (2026). Torvosaurus. Future Sailors. https://www.omnisaura.com/genera/torvosaurus. Data as of 12 October 2026.

What's changed

No changes since the change log started (11 Oct 2026).

Every change to Omnisaura

Use this data

Download this genus as JSON With every source and licence attached. Spotted a problem? Tell us

Pictures

3 openly licensed pictures of Torvosaurus on Wikimedia Commons and museum sites, each with its own author and licence.

Complete skeleton of Torvosaurus.jpg
★Kumiko★, CC BY-SA 2.0
Torvosaurus tanneri Reconstruction.png
Fred Wierum, CC BY-SA 4.0
NHM-UK_P_DF118_03_24_0521
The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London, CC BY 4.0

Credits

Where this page comes from

Paleobiology DatabaseCC BY 4.0 · fossil records, ages, classification
Natural History Museum Data PortalCC0 1.0 · catalogued specimens
WikidataCC0 1.0 · names and identifiers
OmnisauraOmnisaura editorial · confidence levels and gaps
PaleoMAP PaleoCoastlines (Kocsis and Scotese 2021)CC BY 4.0 · ancient coastlines on the small map
Natural EarthPublic domain · today's coastlines

Pictures linked from this page are credited beside each one, with their own licences; the full list is in the JSON download.