The First Dinosaur: Megalosaurus

Imagine discovering a giant bone… and realising it belonged to the VERY FIRST dinosaur ever named

by science. That dinosaur was Megalosaurus — the original celebrity of the prehistoric

world. Megalosaurus lived around 166 million years ago during the Middle Jurassic,

in what is now Europe. It was a large, powerful carnivore, growing up to 9 metres long,

with sharp teeth and strong legs built for chasing prey through ancient forests.

When its fossils were first found in the 1800s, people thought they belonged to a giant

lizard or even a dragon. But Megalosaurus became the first dinosaur ever formally

described, helping scientists realise that an entire world of ancient creatures