Imagine a small yacht walking around with kitchen knives in its mouth.
T-Rex from Jurassic Park. Okay, okay not that big ... but close! (Via Universal Pictures / "Jurassic Park")
Researchers say the Torvosaurus Gurneyi, a newly identified dino, stood at a frightening 33 feet long with 4 inch blades for molars and weighed in somewhere between four and five tons. (Via PLOS One)
Though researchers imagine this beast to be similar to the famous T-Rex, the Torvosaurus comes from a much earlier time period. Researchers say the T. Gurneyi roamed Europe in the late Jurassic period so more than 150 million years ago. (Via Tested)
The one thing the two animals did have in common was their placement on the food chain.
"We have a very well-preserved tooth of more than 10 centimeters so that definitely belongs to a carnivorous animal. Most likely a predator that was feeding on large prey." (Via BBC)
According to Discovery, the skull and other fossils were found north of Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. The upper jaw discovered still had eleven of the dinosaurs teeth and the skull measured in at 4 feet long.
Ironically, this terrifying predator will be named after the author of a children's book.
"Dinotopia is the one place on earth where Dinosaurs never went extinct." (Via YouTube / James Gurney)
James Gurney, author of the popular "Dinotopia" series, will forever be associated with the animals he gave his artistry to. Christopher Hendrickx, who is credited with discovering the new species, says he wanted to honor Gurney with the name. (Via YouTube / James Gurney)
Gurney told NBC when asked about the selection, "I was completely thrilled and honored and completely surprised."
Though the Torvosaurus gurneyi was the biggest predator to roam Europe, it was nowhere near the biggest predators known to science.
That title rests with the Spinosaurus which researchers estimate could have been anywhere from 40 to 60 feet in length. (Via BBC Earth)
