Fun Liliensternus Facts For Kids

Liliensternus liliensterni is a species of dinosaurs of the late Triassic period. Estimated to have lived around 201-228 million years ago, this early theropod was quite a marvel for the person who discovered the very first fossils - Hugo Rühle von Lilienstern.

As you can tell, this animal of enormous length and weight was named after the man who discovered its remains!

This member of the clade Theropoda is estimated to have had a long tail, like the related genus called Dilophosaurus. Estimated to have been one of the most ferocious predators of the time, Liliensternus is one wonderous dinosaur from the history of the world!

Liliensternus Interesting Facts

How do you pronounce 'Liliensternus'?

The name of this early dinosaur would be pronounced as 'lily-en-shtern-us.'

What type of dinosaur was a Liliensternus?

The Liliensternus was a theropod dinosaur genus whose fossil remains were named by Friedrich von Huene.

In which geological period did the Liliensternus roam the earth?

The geological period during which these theropods trod earth and searched for prey to satisfy their carnivorous diet is the late Triassic period. The fossil remains of the genus have been discovered from the upper Triassic of present-day German territories.

If you are wondering long ago what would be in the earth's history, you will most definitely be astonished to know that the Liliensternus lived around 201 - 228 million years ago!

When did the Liliensternus become extinct?

The exact timeline as to when these early theropods became extinct is not clear, however, the Triassic period is known to have ended around 200 million years ago, which gives us a rough idea as to when these animals may have stopped existing.

Where did a Liliensternus live?

The habitat of this theropod genus of dinosaurs is estimated to have consisted of floodplains and lowlands, or riverine forests. This would allow this carnivore dinosaur to be able to find plenty of reptiles and herbivores to feed on.

What was a Liliensternus' habitat?

Since fossils of these theropod dinosaurs have only been found in present-day Germany, the genus is often considered to have been endemic to Western Europe. The fossils of these dinosaurs were found at a site called the Trossingen formation (Middle Keuper Group) and amount to an almost complete Liliensternus skeleton!

Who did a Liliensternus live with?

While it is not exactly known if the Liliensternus dinosaur would prefer to live in packs or alone, based on the carnivorous nature of this dinosaur genus, we may conclude that it would hardly be found in large packs. The tendency to live in large groups is rarely seen in any carnivore to date.

How long did a Liliensternus live?

The number of years that the Liliensternus theropod dinosaurs may have lived on earth is not clearly known to us through any published work; neither are we aware of any data that would tell us the average lifespan of a dinosaur of this genus.

How did they reproduce?

Dinosaurs from all around the world are known to have been oviparous. This is to say that the Liliensternus dinosaur, too, would reproduce by laying eggs.

However, whether or not these dinosaurs of the late Triassic period had any peculiar courting or nesting habits is not clearly known.

Liliensternus Fun Facts

What did a Liliensternus look like?

Liliensternus liliensterni is one of the biggest dinosaur species in the class of theropods. These animals are known to have been quite predatory and hence, it is hardly a matter of surprise that the fossilized skull was embedded with razor-sharp teeth.

These teeth, along with the fact that this early dinosaur was extremely fast on its feet and very strong, allowed it to be able to feed on herbivores way larger than its own size!

The head-to-tail length of this animal was quite large and remarkable!

How many bones did a Liliensternus have?

We are yet to come across any information that would give us a definite number of bones that the Liliensternus dinosaur species had in its body since the fossil remains found in the Trossingen formation only find a partial skeleton.

How did they communicate?

The mode of communication used by this member of the clade Dinosauria is likely to have been harsh, long, and very loud calls that are typical to carnivorous and herbivorous dinosaurs alike!

Since these dinosaurs also had fairly long necks, there is speculation if neck gestures, too, could occasionally serve as a mode of communication within the same clade (Dinosauria, Saurischia, Theropoda)!

How big was a Liliensternus?

The length of an average Liliensternus dinosaur would be of around 16.73-17.06 ft (5.1-5.2 m). The Liliensternus height, from skull to feet, would be in the range of 6.56 ft (2 m).

Although, don't be fooled by the relatively small Liliensternus size because they were deadly and are considered to be one of the apex predators of the Late Triassic!

How fast could a Liliensternus move?

The exact Liliensternus speed is yet to be estimated, however, paleontologists like Hugo Rühle von Lilienstern suggest that these theropod dinosaurs were, in fact, fast and agile! Such features of the dinosaur species are known to have helped in finding suitable prey!

How much did a Liliensternus weigh?

The weight of an average German Liliensternus is estimated to have been around 280-442 lb (127-200 kg)!

What were the male and female names of the species?

Since there are no distinct names for the two sexes of the Liliensternus liliensterni dinosaur species, we have sorted to referring to them as the male Lilienternus dinosaur and female Liliensternus dinosaur.

What would you call a baby Liliensternus?

A baby Liliensternus dinosaur would be called a hatchling simply because this dinosaur from Germany is known to have been oviparous. Related genera and species such as Dilophosaurus had the same classification when it came to the mode of reproduction.

What did they eat?

The diet of the German Liliensternus, discovered by Hugo Rühle von Lilienstern, is estimated to have been strictly carnivorous. This dinosaur genus could easily satisfy its diet in during the Triassic period due to the abundance of reptiles and herbivores to feed on.

How aggressive were they?

It is quite likely that this dinosaur genus was aggressive, as is expected from any carnivorous animal from the late Triassic. Additionally, since this dinosaur is estimated to be the apex predatory dinosaur of the time, we can assume that any animal would be scared to cross paths with a Liliensternus!

Did you know...

The name of this species was given by Friedrich Huene, while the discovery of the Liliensternus liliensterni was made by Hugo Rühle von Lilienstern.

Classification of this animal as a carnivore is based on the sharp teeth, strong jaws and claws that have been recovered from the site of discovery!

The remains of this animal were discovered by the Middle Keuper Group in Germany.

Did the Liliensternus hunt?

Yes, the Liliensternus dinosaur is not only hunting but is also known to have been one of the most dangerous theropod genus of the Trossingen formation!

What continent did the Liliensternus live on?

The part of the world that this animal lived on is present-day Western Europe, however, during the late Triassic period, there was only the supercontinent called Pangea!

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover!

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

*The first image is an illustration by Nobu Tamura.

*The second image is an illustration by  Arthur Weasley.