Piveteausaurus

Piveteausaurus is a genus of large Middle Jurassic theropod dinosaur known from northern France. Discovered in the Callovian marine marls of Normandy, the sole specimen consists of a substantial, well-preserved braincase. The fossil was initially studied by French palaeontologist Jean Piveteau in 1923 and assigned to Streptospondylus, before being recognised decades later as an entirely distinct genus named in his honour. Comparative anatomical studies indicate that its braincase closely resembles those of large tetanurans like Megalosaurus and Allosaurus. Because only the cranium's rear portion is preserved, its overall length must be estimated, but scaling against related megalosaurids suggests a formidable predator between eight and ten metres long. It would have prowled coastal plains and island archipelagos, hunting large herbivorous dinosaurs in what is now western Europe.

Known solely from a single well-preserved partial braincase discovered in Normandy, Piveteausaurus was an imposing Middle Jurassic predator.

Where and when

Piveteausaurus lived in the Middle Jurassic, from 164 to 161 million years ago (Callovian age). Its remains come from France, in the Marnes de Dives Formation.

The numbers

Length 9 m (estimates run from 8 to 10 m). Mass about 1.4 t. Hip height about 2.5 m. That is 5.3 human-lengths, or 0.8 of a double-decker bus. These are estimates from fragmentary remains; fields marked estimated by the site are length, mass, first ma, last ma, hip height.

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