Megalosaurus on a kill, by Mark Witton.
Megalosaurus on a kill, by Mark Witton. England can be considered the cradle of paleontological studies on dinosaurs, and fossils belonging to the group have been found here for centuries. The first non-avian dinosaur to receive a name recognized to this day is the Megalosaurus (meaning "great lizard") in 1824. Based on the few isolated fossils found, including a partial lower jaw and a thigh bone, the genus was initially believed to be a giant, crocodile-like animal, but peculiar in the sense that it stood with its legs positioned directly under its body, a feature not seen in modern reptiles. Even though a complete skeleton of it has never been found, nowadays the Megalosaurus is classified as a theropod, and thus it was most likely a wholly bipedal carnivore. The layers of Stonesfield slate, situated north-west of Oxford and in which all the available remains have been unearthed, date back to the Middle Jurassic. We hope that you have enjoyed reading our blog on the &qu