The first Dilophosaurus remains were found in Arizona, USA in the 1940s. In 1954, the fossil was described and named by Samuel P. Welles, who called it Megalosaurus wetherilli. However, later in the 1970s, Welles realized it was a separate genus from Megalosaurus, and renamed it as Dilophosaurus.
In the 1990s, another species assigned to Dilophosaurus was discovered in China. However, it was later found that this dinosaur was the same as a previously discovered dinosaur named Sinosaurus.
Dilophosaurus’s classification has always been a subject of debate among scientists. It was originally thought to be a relative of Megalosaurus, and then Ceratosaurus, and then Coelophysis. It was also thought at one point that it might have been related to Baryonyx. More recently, Dilophosaurus has been placed in its own family, with Cryolophosaurus thought to be one of its closest known relatives.
Dilophosaurus became popular in the 1990s due to its inclusion in the blockbuster film Jurassic Park. In the film, Dilophosaurus is shown much smaller than its true size, and is said to be venomous, with a large neck frill similar to that of a frilled lizard. However, no current fossil evidence exists to support the existence of venom or a neck frill in the real life Dilophosaurus.
