BARYONYX
Baryonyx walkeri
Meaning: "Heavy Claw"
📊 STATS
Size comparison:
As long as a minibus!
📖 ABOUT BARYONYX
Meet Baryonyx, the 'Heavy Claw' dinosaur! This fish-loving dino was a master angler, using its giant thumb claw to snatch tasty treats from the water!
Baryonyx, meaning 'Heavy Claw,' was a fascinating dinosaur that lived during the Early Cretaceous period. Discovered in England in 1983, this dino stood out from the crowd! Baryonyx was a member of the Spinosauridae family, known for their crocodile-like snouts and impressive claws. What made Baryonyx special was its HUGE thumb claw, which it likely used to hook fish out of rivers and lakes.
Imagine Baryonyx wading into the water, its long snout searching for a tasty meal. It was a piscivore, meaning its favorite food was fish! Scientists even found fish scales inside a Baryonyx fossil, proving its love for seafood. This dinosaur walked on two legs (bipedal), and with its strong legs, it could probably run pretty fast. While it wasn't the biggest dinosaur, Baryonyx was a fearsome predator in its own right, perfectly adapted to its aquatic lifestyle. Fossils of Baryonyx have been found in England, Spain and Portugal. Baryonyx had a long skull, almost like a crocodile. That made it a very good hunter for fish!
🔬 CLASSIFICATION
- Group
- Theropoda
- Family
- Spinosauridae
- Period
- Early Cretaceous (145-100 Ma)
- Era
- 130.0 - 125.0 million years ago
🗺️ DISCOVERY
- Year
- 1983
- Discovered by
- William Walker
- Location
- Surrey, England
- Fossils found in
- England, Spain, Portugal
🎨 SCIENTIFIC ILLUSTRATION
Artistic reconstruction of Baryonyx based on fossil evidence
🗺️ WHERE FOSSILS WERE FOUND
England, Spain, Portugal
🤓 FUN FACTS
- ✨ Baryonyx had over 100 teeth, perfect for gripping slippery fish!
- ✨ Its name, 'Heavy Claw,' comes from the enormous claw on its thumb, which was about 35 centimeters long!
- ✨ Scientists think Baryonyx might have also eaten small dinosaurs and scavenged for meat sometimes!
- ✨ Baryonyx lived alongside other dinosaurs like Iguanodon!
- ✨ The first Baryonyx fossil was found by an amateur fossil hunter named William Walker!
💡 DID YOU KNOW?
Get this! Scientists found fossilized fish scales inside the ribcage of the first Baryonyx fossil. Talk about dinner being served… and discovered millions of years later!
