Baryonyx, the cousin of the gigantic Spinosaurus, was a predatory dinosaur. This piece is part of our Dinosaur Facts Series and contains facts about Baryonyx for kids and adults. Let’s learn more about the early Cretaceous dinosaur.
Baryonyx Facts for Kids, Students and Adults
Baryonyx was a two-legged meat-eating dinosaur that lived during the mid-sized. It presumably spent a lot of time in or near water, despite the fact that it wasn’t completely aquatic. It was adapted for a variety of purposes, one of which being catching fish.
Baryonyx existed 130 to 125 million years ago, during the early Cretaceous epoch.
Baryonyx Relations
A theropod, Baryonyx was one of them. Baryonyx walked on two legs, with a long tail that supplied balance, similar to other dinosaurs in this enormous group. Baryonyx possessed a neck that was longer than those of other meat-eating dinosaurs.
Baryonyx Family Tree
The Spinosauridae family included Baryonyx. Spinosaurus, Irritator, and Suchomimus were among the dinosaurs in this family.
The difference in size between these dinosaurs can be seen in the diagram below (Baryonyx is the orange dinosaur):
Baryonyx lacked the enormous, spiny sail of its cousin Spinosaurus (the family’s biggest member), as well as its bulk.
Baryonyx had a long, slender skull similar to that of a crocodile, as did the other Spinosaurids. It had 96 serrated, cone-shaped teeth in its jaws.
Baryonyx’s arms were strong, and he most likely utilized them to capture prey and subdue it. Baryonyx might have walked on all fours through shallow water, eager to bite passing fish with its long, thin jaws. Baryonyx was believed to be able to swim by some scientists.
Each thumb of Baryonyx had massive claws. These would have been used to capture prey and were roughly 31 cm (12 in) long.
These lengthy thumb-claws earned Baryonyx its name, which means “heavy claw.”
Baryonyx was in the same family as Spinosaurus, above.
Baryonyx Size
Baryonyx was a huge dinosaur, weighing as much as a car and tall enough to peer into upper-story windows, despite not being as large as the closely related Spinosaurus.
Baryonyx grew to a length of between 7.5 and 10 meters (25 and 33 feet). It weighed about 1.3 short tons (metric tonnes).
Baryonyx Diet
The stomach of a fossilized Baryonyx specimen has been found to contain incredibly preserved fish scales. Baryonyx may have used the same hunting techniques as modern crocodiles, such as its crocodile-like jaws.
In the same specimen, Iguanodon bones were discovered. Baryonyx didn’t merely eat fish, according to this. It’s also possible that it was a hunter of other dinosaurs.
alternatively, Baryonyx may have been a scavenger that let nature – or other predators – do the difficult work of cleaning up before moving in to devour whatever was left.
Who Discovered Baryonyx?
William J. Baryonyx, a plumber and amateur fossil hunter, discovered Baryonyx. In 1983, Walker appeared in the film. While investigating a clay pit near Dorking in southern England, he discovered a massive fossilized claw. He contacted the Natural History Museum in London after discovering that the fossil was an important find. A team of experts from the museum was dispatched to locate the rest of the skeleton.
The following are images of some of the bones discovered by Walker.
Baryonyx walkeri was named after its creator, and it is his honor. It was the first of the Cretaceous theropods to be found. Further Baryonyx specimens have since been discovered in England, Spain, and Portugal.
Top Ten Baryonyx Facts for Kids
- Baryonyx is a member of the Spinosauridae family, and a close relation of Spinosaurus.
- Baryonyx was a theropod, a large group of two-legged, meat-eating dinosaurs.
- Baryonyx has an extra-large, curved claw on each thumb.
- Baryonyx has a straight neck, unusual among meat-eating dinosaurs who usually have s-shaped necks.
- Baryonyx lived in the early Cretaceous period, around 135 to 120 million years ago.
- Baryonyx was discovered by plumber and amateur fossil hunter William J. Walker in 1983.
- The Baryonyx species Baryonyx walkeri was named in honor of its discoverer.
- The genus name Baryonyx means heavy, or strong claw.
- It was the first large theropod of the Cretaceous period to be discovered.
- The remains of fish scales have been found in Baryonyx’s stomach.
Baryonyx Facts for Kids, Students and Adults: Conclusion
Being a dinosaur hunter doesn’t mean you have to be a professional paleontologist, as Baryonyx shows. If you discover a new species of dinosaur, don’t forget to name it after yourself!