Section 1.1: A Closer Look at Its Misrepresentation

The dinosaur's portrayal in the movie has cemented its status as a pop culture icon, but significant aspects of its anatomy and evolutionary history were largely unknown until recent research shed light on the true nature of Dilophosaurus.

Lead researcher Dr. Adam Marsh, a paleontologist at the University of Texas and Petrified Forest National Park, explained, “It’s pretty much the best, worst-known dinosaur. Until this study, nobody knew what Dilophosaurus wetherilli actually looked like or how it evolved.”

The first remains of Dilophosaurus were unearthed in the Early Jurassic strata of the Kayenta Formation in northern Arizona. Early scientific literature depicted it as possessing a delicate crest and weak jaws, characteristics that influenced its representation in popular media. This creature was featured in Michael Crichton's novel Jurassic Park and the subsequent film adaptation by Steven Spielberg.

To enhance the dinosaur's menacing persona despite its seemingly feeble jaws, Crichton invented the fictional trait of venom-spitting, which Spielberg eagerly integrated into the film. The character also exhibited a cowl that expanded and vibrated when it was about to strike. In an effort to avoid confusion with the Velociraptor in the film, the creators depicted Dilophosaurus as only 1.2 meters (4 ft) tall, significantly smaller than its actual size.

The film's depiction of Dilophosaurus was noted as the "only serious departure from scientific accuracy" in the making-of book for Jurassic Park and was labeled the "most fictionalized" dinosaur in a publication about Stan Winston Studios, responsible for creating the film's animatronic effects.

To discover more about the inaccuracies presented in Jurassic Park, check the article below:

Top Things Jurassic Park Got Wrong About Dinosaurs

No way T. rex could have chased down that jeep if it was going at highway speeds…

Section 1.2: The Reality of Dilophosaurus

In reality, rather than being a diminutive dinosaur relying on gimmicks, Dilophosaurus was one of the largest terrestrial predators of its time, existing 193 million years ago.

With an estimated length of 7 meters (23 ft)—about half the size of a fully grown T. rex—and weighing over three-quarters of a ton, this carnivore was the apex predator within its ecosystem. Its jaw structure indicates that it supported powerful muscles, implying that Dilophosaurus was capable of taking down substantial prey.

“Dilophosaurus is clearly built for being a big macropredator,” Marsh states. “It’s a large-bodied animal that was designed for consuming other animals.”

This powerful predator could have preyed on creatures like the 4-meter-long (13 ft) massospondylian Sarahsaurus, also found in the Kayenta Formation.

Section 1.3: The Enigmatic Crest

One of the most striking characteristics of Dilophosaurus is its crest. Although composed of fragile bone, it was reinforced with a network of air pockets that enhanced its strength.

Many modern birds exhibit similar thin, air-filled bony crests connected to their sinuses, covered in keratin—the same resilient material found in their beaks. This keratinous layer can come in various colors and significantly increases the size of the crest during the dinosaur's life.

Birds utilize their crests for various purposes, such as communication and display, as well as thermoregulation. The complex arrangement of air pockets and ducts connecting Dilophosaurus’s sinus cavity to its crest suggests that it may have had similar functionalities.

Section 1.4: Evolutionary Context

The Triassic-Jurassic mass extinction event, occurring around 200 million years ago, eliminated most non-dinosaurian archosaurs that had previously dominated their ecosystems.

In the aftermath, Dilophosaurus, along with other crested theropods like Cryolophosaurus and Sinosaurus, rapidly adapted and became some of the first sizable predatory dinosaurs.

These species illustrate a sudden increase in body size at the Triassic-Jurassic boundary, likely coinciding with the elimination of large crocodile-like predators, according to paleontologist Peter Makovicky from the University of Minnesota.

“That top predator niche is up for grabs, and these crested dinosaurs seem to jump into it very quickly.”

However, the reign of these crested theropods was relatively short-lived, lasting only tens of millions of years in evolutionary terms. By the Middle Jurassic Period, they had been supplanted by more advanced carnivorous dinosaurs.

Head crests became increasingly rare in later predatory dinosaurs, possibly due to the evolution of feathers, which may have provided more effective displays with lower biological costs than bony crests.

References

• Adam D. Marsh & Timothy B. Rowe. 2020. A comprehensive anatomical and phylogenetic evaluation of Dilophosaurus wetherilli (Dinosauria, Theropoda) with descriptions of new specimens from the Kayenta Formation of northern Arizona. Journal of Paleontology 94, supplement S78: 1–103; doi: 10.1017/jpa.2020.14
• Famous Jurassic Park Dinosaur Was More Powerful than Previously Thought, (Jul. 2020), SciNews, Link: http://www.sci-news.com/paleontology/dilophosaurus-wetherilli-08620.html