What dinosaurs lived in the Early Jurassic?

Dilophosaurus, Scelidosaurus, Massospondylus, and early sauropodomorphs like Vulcanodon lived during the Early Jurassic. The famous large Jurassic dinosaurs came slightly later.

Home/Prehistoric Periods/Early Jurassic

Early Jurassic Period

201-174 million years ago

The Early Jurassic was an explosive period of dinosaur diversification. With the Triassic extinction clearing out much of the competition, dinosaurs quickly spread across the world and began evolving into the major groups that would define the age. The first large sauropods appeared, predatory theropods grew bigger, and the world was lush and warm.

Fun Facts

✓Dinosaurs diversified explosively in the Early Jurassic after the end-Triassic extinction cleared out competitors.
✓The Early Jurassic saw the first large sauropodomorphs, ancestors of the giant long-necked dinosaurs.
✓Dilophosaurus, one of the first large predatory dinosaurs, lived in the Early Jurassic.
✓Pangaea was still largely intact in the Early Jurassic, allowing dinosaur species to spread across the globe.

Questions About the Early Jurassic

Dinosaurs of the Early Jurassic Period

AnchisaurusANK-ee-sore-us CryolophosaurusCRY-oh-LOAF-oh-sore-us Dilophosaurusdie-LOAF-oh-sore-us Lesothosaurusleh-SO-toh-SORE-us Lufengosaurusloo-FUNG-oh-SORE-us Massospondylusmass-oh-SPON-di-luss Mussaurusmoos-SORE-us Scelidosaurusskel-EYE-doh-sore-us Scutellosaurusskoo-TELL-oh-sore-us

Other Prehistoric Periods

Triassic Late Triassic Middle Triassic Jurassic Middle Jurassic Late Jurassic Middle-Late Jurassic Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous View all periods →