Epoch

Late Jurassic

161.5000 – 143.1000 Ma

The Late Jurassic is the third epoch of the Jurassic period, and it spans the geologic time from 161.5 ± 1.0 to 143.1 ± 0.6 million years ago (Ma), which is preserved in Upper Jurassic strata.

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Late Jurassic
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© Scotese, Christopher R.; Vérard, Christian; Burgener, Landon; Elling, Reece P.; Kocsis, Ádám T. · CC BY 4.0
Fossil genera 252
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News 5
Stunning 150-million-year-old stegosaur skull rewrites dinosaur evolution
A spectacular dinosaur discovery in Spain is giving scientists a rare new look inside the world of stegosaurs. Paleontologists uncovered the best-preserved stegosaur skull ever found in Europe, belonging to the iconic plated dinosaur Dacentrurus armatus, which roamed Earth around 150 million years ago. Because stegosaur skulls are extremely fragile and almost never survive intact, the fossil is helping researchers uncover previously unknown details about how these armored giants evolved.
17/05/2026 sciencedaily
Torvosaurus: Beast of the Week
Torvosaurus: Beast of the Week
Today we are going to look at a huge Jurassic predatory dinosaur, Torvosaurus tanneri!  Torvosaurus lived about 150 million years ago during the Late Jurassic period. Its bones have been unearthed in Colorado, USA, Portugal, and possibly Germany (Europe and North America were not as vastly separated back then, remember, so a lot of the dinosaurs on each of them from that time shared recent ancestors).  From nose to tail it measured up to 36 feet (about 11m) and would have been among the largest,
08/02/2026 prehistoricbeastoftheweek
Anurognathus: Beast of the Week
Anurognathus: Beast of the Week
This week we will be checking out a unique little pterosaur, Anurognathus ammoni!  Anurognathus lived in what is now Germany during the late Jurassic period, about 150 million years ago.  It was tiny, sporting a 14 inch (35.5 cm) wingspan, and would have likely eaten insects.  It's genus name translates to "Frog Jaw" since its skull was similar looking to a frog's, being extremely blunt with a wide mouth.  Watercolor reconstruction of Anurognathus ammoni by Christopher DiPiazza.Anurognathus' sku
14/12/2025 prehistoricbeastoftheweek
Episode 170: Cariocecus bocagei
The iguanodontians were an incredibly successful group within the Cretaceous. They could reach incredible sizes, with the largest species even matching the proportions of some sauropods, and they also had an incredible palaeogeographic range, meaning that their remains are found all over the world today. In the late Jurassic, they were a lot less diverse [&hellip
15/09/2025 palaeocast
Ceratosaurus: Beast of the Week
Ceratosaurus: Beast of the Week
This week we shall be looking at a popular meat-eater with some truly unique features.  Enter Ceratosaurus!Watercolor life reconstruction of Ceratosaurus nascornis eating the ancient lungfish, Ceratodus robustus by Christopher DiPiazza. Ceratosaurus was a meat-eating dinosaur that lived during the late Jurassic period, about 150 million years ago, in what is now the United States, specifically Utah and Colorado.  Bones thought to be from Ceratosaurus have also been unearthed in Portugal.  As an
14/07/2025 prehistoricbeastoftheweek
Parent interval
Jurassic Period
Sub-intervals 3
Oxfordian
161.5000 – 154.8000
Kimmeridgian
154.8000 – 149.2000
Tithonian
149.2000 – 143.1000