The unveiling of the restored Mangiasaurus was held on October 25, Mangiasaurus Day in Austin!

What's this about?

As noted in the local news, Mangiasaurus rex, the beloved mascot of Mangia Pizza, was found severely vandalized on Tuesday, September 22.  Here at the Texas Memorial Museum, we decided to see if we could help put Mangiasaurus back together.

• Meet the teams

• See theropod tracks.

• Learn about a cousin of Mangiasaurus.

• Find dinosaur coloring sheets and activities.

• Visit the Museum.

Mangiasaurus rex is back!

View the slideshow below or the gallery.

Back   |   Forward

Keep Austin Weird - Return of Mangiasaurus rex t-shirt sold during the event. 

Who was Mangiasaurus?

Museum paleontologists have identified Mangiasaurus as a theropod, a carnivorous dinosaur with strong jaws and short forelimbs.  Dinosaurs like Mangiasaurus were bipedal, walking upright on their strong hind legs.  Note that Mangiasaurus had three primary toes on his clawed feet, and his footprints show a three-toed pattern.  

Although related to fierce carnivores like T. rex and Velociraptor, it is curious that Mangiasaurus was technically a pizzavore, and existed primarily on a diet of pizza.  Remains of Mangiasaurus have been found with telltale fossilized pie pans nearby.  Mangiasaurus teeth and jaws were superbly adapted to conquer crunchy crusts and thick Chicago stuffed pies.  Museum scientists will continue to investigate fossil specimens for more clues about this fascinating creature of the Crust-aceous.