Dilophosaurus Size Comparison
Dilophosaurus 3D Viewer pairs published Early Jurassic theropod figures with a 1.8 m person on screen - length about 6.03 m for holotype UCMP 37302 (largest known near about 7 m; Size vs human uses about 6.03 m) and weight about 283 kg (largest known up to about 400 kg) - so the scale gap stays readable at a glance.
Dilophosaurus published figures
The Dilophosaurus facts panel and this table disclose published ranges rather than one invented single number; the Size vs human control uses about 6.03 m as the length scale ratio:
| Measure | Figure | Vs a 1.8 m person |
|---|---|---|
| Length | about 6.03 m holotype UCMP 37302; largest known specimen near about 7 m; Size vs human uses about 6.03 m | ~3.4x a person end-to-end at the 6.03 m scale figure |
| Weight | about 283 kg holotype; largest known up to about 400 kg | sources disagree by specimen - shown as a range |
| Signature anatomy | paired thin arched nasal/lacrimal crests (feats.crest twin-fin rewrite); Jurassic Park neck frill and venom spit are fiction with no fossil support; Kayenta Formation, northern Arizona | crests sit on the head mesh; no deployable frill in the viewer |
| When it lived | 195-184 million years ago (often cited around 193 Mya) | Early Jurassic; Samuel Welles 1954 as Megalosaurus species, genus Dilophosaurus in 1970 |
How the Dilophosaurus size-vs-human toggle stays honest
The Dilophosaurus model is drawn to a fixed on-screen length so it fits the canvas; the Size vs human control then places a 1.8 m person at the true length ratio used by the viewer (about 6.03 m). Tap Size vs human under the canvas to show or hide the scale figure - the comparison is proportional, not a decorative sticker. Published length still spans the holotype 6.03 m with largest known near about 7 m, so the toggle picks one clear scale inside that disclosed range.
What a person would see beside a Dilophosaurus
On Dilophosaurus Size Comparison, What a person would see is a bipedal Early Jurassic theropod with twin thin crests and no movie neck frill - turn on the person in the viewer and orbit beside a hind leg to feel how the horizontal-back posture sits relative to the scale figure. Skin color and exact crest covering are an artistic reconstruction; the viewer does not invent venom spit.
What the Dilophosaurus size numbers are not
What these size numbers are not is a claim of one precise length or weight: the Dilophosaurus size comparison discloses the holotype and largest-known ranges and uses about 6.03 m only for the Size vs human scale; it does not invent a hip-height figure the skill does not carry, does not invent a neck frill or venom spit, no free-licensed Dilophosaurus glTF is re-hosted yet so the viewer stays procedural with the twin-crest rewrite, and this is not a win/lose game. For the control walkthrough see how to view Dilophosaurus in 3D. For trade-offs versus phone AR apps see Dilophosaurus 3D viewer vs AR apps.
The Dilophosaurus viewer controls
Open the Dilophosaurus 3D Viewer and wait for the facts panel to fill. Once the status line offers drag to rotate and scroll or pinch to zoom, orbit the model with the pointer and zoom with the wheel or a two-finger pinch. A few controls sit under the canvas beyond the Size vs human toggle described above: Stop rotation freezes the auto-spin, and the label flips to Auto-rotate while spinning is off; Idle motion adds a subtle breathing and hind-leg sway, and tapping it again switches the label back to Stand still; Fullscreen expands the wrapper so every button stays visible beside the scene. Each toggle is independent, so the model can sit still, hold a fullscreen frame, and show the scale figure at the same time.
The Dilophosaurus facts panel and part clicks
Beyond the published-figures table above, the Dilophosaurus facts panel also carries the naming history: Samuel Welles first described the fossil in 1954 as a species of Megalosaurus, then created the new genus Dilophosaurus for it in 1970 - the name itself means "two-crested lizard", chosen directly for the paired head crests the model renders. A short click, not a drag, on the head, body, neck, tail, or a leg swaps in a note for that part; click empty space in the viewer to return to the full fact sheet.
What recent research adds about Dilophosaurus
Fossils preserve the twin crests' bone shape but not their outward covering, so the most likely material is keratin - the same protein that forms claws, beaks, and the cranial ornaments of several other dinosaurs. At 195-184 million years ago (often cited around 193 Mya), Dilophosaurus is also the geologically oldest theropod in this size-comparison collection and one of the smallest full-grown theropods shipped so far, well below the later, larger Tyrannosaurus rex, Carnotaurus, Allosaurus, and Giganotosaurus viewers in the same collection. A 2020 reanalysis by Marsh and Rowe reassessed the animal's ecological role: rather than treating it as a marginal scavenger, their study supports Dilophosaurus as an apex predator within its own Early Jurassic ecosystem, with some anatomical evidence consistent with piscivory (fish-eating) alongside general predation.
Other dinosaurs to compare
Other dinosaurs in the collection make useful size comparisons too: Dilophosaurus is an Early Jurassic twin-crested theropod, so for a Late Jurassic Morrison Formation apex predator see the Allosaurus 3D Viewer, or for a Late Cretaceous horned abelisaurid see the Carnotaurus 3D Viewer.
Frequently asked questions
What does the name "Dilophosaurus" mean?
Two-crested lizard. Samuel Welles gave Dilophosaurus its own genus name in 1970, after first describing the fossil as a Megalosaurus species in 1954, naming it directly for the paired head crests the model renders.
What were the twin crests likely covered in?
Most likely keratin - the fossils preserve the crests' bone shape but not their outward covering, so researchers infer a keratin sheath similar to claws, beaks, and other dinosaurs' cranial ornaments.
Was Dilophosaurus an apex predator or a scavenger?
A 2020 reanalysis by Marsh and Rowe supports Dilophosaurus as an apex predator in its own Early Jurassic ecosystem, with some anatomical evidence consistent with piscivory (fish-eating) alongside general predation, rather than a marginal scavenger.
How does Dilophosaurus compare in age to the other dinosaurs in this collection?
At 195-184 million years ago, Dilophosaurus is the geologically oldest theropod shipped in this size-comparison collection so far, and one of the smallest full-grown theropods next to the later, larger Tyrannosaurus rex, Carnotaurus, Allosaurus, and Giganotosaurus viewers.
Which body parts can I click for facts in the viewer?
Head, body, neck, tail, or a leg - each swaps in a short note tied to that fossil evidence class; click empty space in the viewer to return to the full fact sheet.
What do the Stop rotation and Idle motion controls do?
Stop rotation freezes the auto-spin and flips its label to Auto-rotate; Idle motion adds a subtle breathing and hind-leg sway and flips its label to Stand still when tapped again. Both sit under the canvas alongside Fullscreen and Size vs human.
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