Continent: Europe

Dinosaurs of Europe

During the Mesozoic, Europe was largely an archipelago of islands, resulting in unique insular dwarf species and classic historical fossil discoveries.

Cataloged Specimens from Europe (13 total)

Theropoda

Jurassic PeriodCarnivore

Archaeopteryx

Archaeopteryx lithographica von Meyer, 1861

An iconic stem-avialan from the Late Jurassic Solnhofen limestone exhibiting transitional features bridging non-avian theropods and birds.

0.4–0.5 m (1.3–1.6 ft)

0.5–1 kg (1–2 lbs)

Theropoda

Cretaceous PeriodPiscivore

Baryonyx

Baryonyx walkeri Charig & Milner, 1986

A specialized fish-eating spinosaurid from Early Cretaceous England sporting a 31-centimeter curved thumb claw.

7.5–9.5 m (24.6–31.2 ft)

1.2–2.0 metric tons (2,646–4,409 lbs)

Theropoda

Cretaceous PeriodPiscivore

Ceratosuchops

Ceratosuchops inferodios Barker et al., 2021

The 'horned crocodile-faced hell heron', a newly described spinosaurid from the Isle of Wight.

8–9 m (26.2–29.5 ft)

1.5–2.2 metric tons (3,307–4,850 lbs)

Sauropodomorpha

Jurassic PeriodHerbivore

Cetiosaurus

Cetiosaurus oxoniensis Phillips, 1871

The 'whale lizard', the first sauropod dinosaur discovered and named in scientific history.

14–16 m (45.9–52.5 ft)

10.0–15.0 metric tons (22,046–33,069 lbs)

Theropoda

Jurassic PeriodCarnivore

Compsognathus

Compsognathus longipes Wagner, 1859

A petite, nimble Late Jurassic coelurosaur about the size of a chicken, historically famous as one of the smallest known dinosaurs.

0.9–1.1 m (3.0–3.6 ft)

2–3.5 kg (4–8 lbs)

Theropoda

Cretaceous PeriodCarnivore

Concavenator

Concavenator corcovatus Ortega et al., 2010

A bizarre Early Cretaceous Spanish carcharodontosaurid featuring a sharp humped back and quill knobs on its arms.

5.5–6 m (18.0–19.7 ft)

350–500 kg (772–1,102 lbs)

Ornithopoda

Cretaceous PeriodHerbivore

Iguanodon

Iguanodon bernissartensis Boulenger, 1881

A foundational Early Cretaceous ornithopod possessing a specialized conical thumb spike and facultative quadrupedal gait.

9–11 m (29.5–36.1 ft)

3.0–4.5 metric tons (6,614–9,921 lbs)

Theropoda

Triassic PeriodCarnivore

Liliensternus

Liliensternus liliensterni Huene, 1934

A large, active predatory coelophysoid that roamed Late Triassic Germany.

4.5–5.5 m (14.8–18.0 ft)

120–200 kg (265–441 lbs)

Theropoda

Jurassic PeriodCarnivore

Megalosaurus

Megalosaurus bucklandii Mantell, 1827

The first scientifically named non-avian dinosaur in history, described from Middle Jurassic rocks of England.

6–8 m (19.7–26.2 ft)

0.8–1.4 metric tons (1,764–3,086 lbs)

Theropoda

Jurassic PeriodCarnivore

Metriacanthosaurus

Metriacanthosaurus parkeri von Huene, 1932

A medium-to-large European allosauroid theropod characterized by moderately tall vertebral spines.

7–8 m (23.0–26.2 ft)

0.9–1.2 metric tons (1,984–2,646 lbs)

Stegosauria

Jurassic PeriodHerbivore

Miragaia

Miragaia longicollum Mateus et al., 2009

A long-necked European stegosaur from Portugal possessing at least 17 neck vertebrae.

5.5–6.5 m (18.0–21.3 ft)

1.5–2.2 metric tons (3,307–4,850 lbs)

Sauropodomorpha

Triassic PeriodHerbivore

Plateosaurus

Plateosaurus trossingensis Fraas, 1913

The classic European 'prosauropod', a dominant Late Triassic long-necked herbivore that lived in massive herds.

5–10 m (16.4–32.8 ft)

1.0–4.0 metric tons (2,205–8,818 lbs)

Sauropodomorpha

Triassic PeriodHerbivore

Thecodontosaurus

Thecodontosaurus antiquus Morris, 1843

One of the earliest dinosaurs ever named, an agile small herbivore from the Late Triassic fissure fills of southwestern Britain.

1.5–2.1 m (4.9–6.9 ft)

10–20 kg (22–44 lbs)