Happy Fossil Friday!
Who: Cryolophosaurus ellioti
name meaning: "Cold" "Crested" "Lizard" "David Elliot - who originally discovered the skeletal fragments of Cryolophosaurus"
pronunciation: Cry-oh-low-foe-sore-us - ell-ee-ot-eye
What: A crested theropod in the neotheropoda clade, which also includes Dilophosaurus and Dracovenator
When: Early Jurassic, Hanson Formation
Where: Central Transatlantic Mountains in Antarctica
Fun fact!: Cryolophosaurus is one of six dinosaur species discovered on Antarctica!
Why are they cool?: Like all dilophosaurids it possessed some impressive head gear, in C. ellioti this crest is formed from an elongation of the lacrimals (one of the bones in face near the orbits) and nasal bones. The purpose of these crests is still debated and with low sample sizes, difficult to dicern. Some theories include: sexual dimorphism (a difference between males and females) or recognition of species/display function.
Image Credits: (Left: Pablo Pastori Right: M. Cross)
