Research summary
Classification used here: Spinosaurid theropod dinosaur. Fossils assigned to Baryonyx are known from Early Cretaceous (about 130–125 million years ago) and have been found in United Kingdom, Europe. The museum uses 7.5–10 m (about 25–33 ft) as the reference body length and describes the diet as meat-eater. Baryonyx had a long low snout, nostrils set farther back and an enormous hand claw. Fish scales and iguanodont bones found around the type specimen’s belly show that it ate fish, but they do not prove it ate only fish or lived exactly like a modern crocodile. Snout width, nostril position and thumb-claw proportions vary slightly with the fossil material and reconstruction method used.
Fossil evidence and reconstruction limits
- The 7.5–10 metre figure is an approximate range; estimates differ between the type specimen and a fully grown animal.
- Evidence that it ate fish does not mean it ate only fish or was fully aquatic.
- Snout width, nostril position and hand-claw proportions vary slightly between reconstructions.
Scientific sources
Leon Made This compiled these research notes from public museum resources and scientific papers while preserving uncertainty in the reconstruction. Last reviewed 2026-09-01.
