Fun Edmarka Facts For Kids

Dinosaurs were known to have evolved during the upper Triassic period around 243-233 million years ago. The name dinosaur was coined in 1841 by an English paleontologist, Sir Richard Owen.

It was derived from ancient Greek terms 'deinos' and 'saurus' meaning 'terrible' or 'fearfully great' and 'reptile' or 'lizard', respectively. There are around 700 species of dinosaurs documented so far who are further classified into various clades, families, and genera.

The Torvosaurus or the Edmarka was yet another dubious genus of large carnivorous Theropod dinosaur.

It had two recognized subspecies and one unnamed subspecies. While the type species is Torvosaurus tanneri, other subspecies recorded are Torvosaurus ingens and Torvosaurus gurneyi.

Fossil remains of the Edmarka were unearthed from North America, Germany, Portugal, England, Tanzania, and Uruguay. Fossil remains were first discovered in 1899 by an American paleontologist, Elmer Riggs, from Wyoming in North America.

In 1992, fossils of the skull, the pelvis, the shoulder girdle, and a rib were classified as the subspecies Edmarka rex under the genus named Edmarka by the American paleontologist, Robert Bakker et al.

The name Edmarka honoring the paleontologist Bill Edmark became the synonym to the generic name Torvosaur. Although the Torvosaurus ingens, formerly specified as a subspecies of the genus Edmarka, is now categorized under the genera Ceratosaurus and Megalosaurus, the synonym Edmarka rex was referred as to the subspecies of the Torvosaurus or the Edmarka.

Further, in 1996, Robert Bakker et al. coined the nomen nudum, Brontoraptor, designating Edmarka.

If the uniqueness of the Edmarka makes you interested in reading more about similar species, you can read about the Atrociraptor and the Ostafrikasaurus. 

Edmarka Interesting Facts

How do you pronounce 'Edmarka'?

Edmarka is pronounced as 'ed-mar-ka' or 'ed-mar-kuh'. While Edmarka is the synonym to the binomial name, Torvosaurus, it honors Bill Edmark, a paleontologist and scientist.

What type of dinosaur was an Edmarka?

The Edmarka was a carnivore Megalosaurid from the late Jurassic period. Edmarka is the synonym to the binomial name, Torvosaurus, honoring Bill Edmark.

It is known to have three subspecies. While the type species is Torvosaurus tanneri, T. gurneyi and T. ingens also belong to the same genus. The subspecies are known to have several synonyms like Megalosaurus ingens, Ceratosaurus ingens, Edmarka rex, and Brontoraptor.

The Torvosaurus tanneri was known as one of the largest carnivore dinosaurs with a length ranging up to 33 ft (10 m). It was formerly classified as a member of the family Carcharodontosauridae and is now classified under the family of Megalosauridae and subfamily Megalosaurinae.

In which geological period did the Edmarka roam the Earth?

The Edmarka lived between the Callovian and Tithonian stages during the middle Jurassic period and late Jurassic period around 165-148 million years ago.

When did the Edmarka become extinct?

The Edmarka dinosaur from North America and states of Europe dates back to the late Jurassic period but does not have an estimated period of extinction.

Though the Edmarka was known to have lived between the Callovian and Tithonian stages, it was speculated to have become extinct by the early Cretaceous period. While dinosaurs faced extinction 66 million years ago, there are several speculations about what caused the age of dinosaurs to end.

Climate change, habitat loss, predators, or natural calamities are considered primary causes catalyzing the extinction of animals.

Where did the Edmarka live?

The Edmarka was a terrestrial predator found living around North America and states of Europe. Fossils of the carnivore predator have been recovered from various sites including the Morrison formation, the Vega formation, the Lourinhã formation, the Callovian Ornatenton formation, the Kimmeridge clay formation, and the Tendaguru formation.

What was the Edmarka habitat?

Since fossils and other specimens are the only sources to study prehistoric wildlife, deciphering facts remains one of the challenging tasks.

While fossil remains of the large terrestrial predator, Edmarka, have been unearthed from Vega, Lourinhã, Callovian Ornatenton, Kimmeridge clay, Tendaguru, and Morrison formations around North America and several states of Europe, the dinosaur is not known to have a specific habitat.

On the other hand, dinosaurs were mobile animals found inhabiting a wide range of habitats like grasslands, forests, deserts, beaches, woodlands, wetlands, and areas with plentiful vegetation.

Who did the Edmarka live with?

As the Edmarka was a large carnivore predator, it was not speculated as a social animal. Though carnivore dinosaurs were known to hunt in packs, the Edmarka is thought to have led a solitary life.

How long did the Edmarka live?

The Torvosaurus or the Edmarka, a synonym coined by Robert Bakker, does not have an estimated life span. Being a large carnivore predator, it was not known to have any major threats, pointing to a long and healthy life span. It was found to live between the middle Jurassic and late Jurassic epochs.

How did they reproduce?

Though the reproductive behavior of the Edmarka rex remains poorly studied, a dinosaur, in general, was an oviparous animal laying eggs to reproduce. It laid amniotic eggs in a nest.

The nest was speculated to be a cup, dome, plate, bed, scrape, mound, or burrow. While the female was known to lay eggs, she also grew a bone rich in calcium when laying eggs. The medullary bone was used to make eggshells.

The bone also helps paleontologists to decipher the sex of the dinosaur by studying fossils. Although the brooding position may differ, the female was reported to use an insulating layer of feathers to keep eggs warm until they hatched.

Edmarka Fun Facts

What did the Edmarka look like?

The Edmarka was among the largest carnivorous dinosaurs. It had a long elongated snout and large nostrils, while the shape of its mouth and number of teeth differed between its subspecies. Also, it was a bipedal dinosaur with short front legs or arms and robust hind legs.

It had a considerably long tail with a stiffened base. The appearance of the dinosaur is speculated from the fragmentary Edmarka skull and skeletal remains discovered. Thus, it remains questionable.

How many bones did an Edmarka have?

With the fragmentary skeleton of the Edmarka, computing the number of bones it had remains a challenging task. Thus, the number of bones in the dinosaur remains a conundrum.

How did they communicate?

With time, dinosaurs were known to have adopted vocal and gestural techniques for communication. The Edmarka dinosaur from the upper Jurassic period was speculated to communicate via vocalizations and gestures, but no reports confirm this.

How big was the Edmarka?

The Edmarka was one of the largest prehistoric creatures during the middle and upper Jurassic epochs. While the length of the dinosaur varies around 33-39 ft (10-12 m), its height is measured to range between 10-15 ft (3-4.5 m).

In comparison, an Edmarka was bigger than the average length of an Allosaurus, a Carnosaurian dinosaur from the upper Jurassic epoch, which was almost the same size considering its maximum length that varied between 39-43 ft (12-13 m).

How fast could an Edmarka move?

An Edmarka was a bipedal dinosaur from the late Jurassic period, and the speed of the dinosaur is not recorded. It was one of the largest dinosaurs with a length ranging between 33-39 ft (10-12 m) and weighing around 3.9-4.9 ton (3,600-4,500 kg).

Since the speed of the dinosaur was considered proportionate to its size, the Edmarka was known to have a substantial speed, neither too slow, nor too fast.

How much did an Edmarka weigh?

The Edmarka from the middle-upper Jurassic period was known to weigh around 3.9-4.9 ton (3,600-4,500 kg).

What were the male and female names of the species?

The Edmarka was not known to have sex-specific names.

What would you call a baby Edmarka?

A baby Edmarka from the middle and upper Jurassic epochs can be called a chick, a juvenile, or a hatchling.

What did they eat?

The Edmarka was a terrestrial predator having the diet of a carnivore. Though the diet of the dinosaur is not specific, it was speculated to feed upon carrion and meat of small vertebrates, mammals, and dinosaurs, insects, and hatchlings like other carnivorous dinosaurs.

Teeth of the Edmarka were strong in a large blade-like shape to feed upon its potential food, meat, and carrion.

How aggressive were they?

This carnivore species of dinosaurs was highly predatory with an aggressive temperament. The Edmarka was known to prey upon a variety of animals for meat and carrion.

Did you know...

Edmarka rex was the synonymous name coined by Robert Bakker and other American paleontologists in 1992 for the species of dinosaurs uncovered from the Morrison formation in North America in 1972, the Torvosaurus. The synonymous name of the genus is known to honor Bill Edmark.

Why are they called Edmarka?

In 1992, Robert Bakker uncovered remains of the dinosaur from the upper Jurassic epoch and named the subspecies of the prehistoric creature as Edmarka rex. The name coined by Robert was specified as the synonym to Torvosaurus. The synonymous name of the terrestrial carnivore from the family Megalosauridae is known to honor the paleontologist, Bill Edmark.

Who discovered the Edmarka?

Fossil remains of the Torvosaurus were first discovered from the Dry Mesa Quarry of the Morrison formation in North America in 1972 by Kenneth Stadtman and James A. Jensen. Later, Robert Bakker and the team of American paleontologists unearthed fossil remains from Wyoming and named the dinosaur from the upper Jurassic period Edmarka rex.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other creatures from our Variraptor facts and Sinornithoides facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Edmarka dinosaur coloring pages.

Second image- Ninjatacoshell