Cryolophosaurus (Jurassic)

Cryolophosaurus is a Saurischia thero-pod predator. The first fossils were recovered recently in Antarctica, 1990. William Hammer’s expedition trips from Illinois Augustan College, USA were lucky to recover the entire skeleton from a very first try. It was trapped in the permafrost and the paleontologists attempted to recoverover a few seasons.
Antarctica used to be the part of Gondwana-giant southern continent of the Mesozoic era. That time it also included South Africa, South America and Australia. The climate was much warmer than now and perfectly suited various dinosaur species to flourish. Being a predator Cryolophosaurus had solely fed on flesh. When hunting, it used fast and powerful hind limbs and sharp teeth that curved inwards.
The reptile was crowned by a really fancy headdress or disc- style crest. It spanned across the entire skull. Both Mono-lophosaurus and Dilophosaurus had a crest along their skull, while Cryolophosaurus carried it across like a radar. It is assumed that this feature was only relevant for males. The name refers to the Latin "frozen crested lizard.”