Cryolophosaurus ellioti was a large theropod dinosaur that lived during the Early Jurassic period. It is notable for its distinctive crest on its head, which may have been used for display or species recognition. Discovered in Antarctica, this dinosaur suggests a warmer climate during its time and highlights the continent's prehistoric biodiversity.

Cryolophosaurus ellioti is known to have lived in what is now Antarctica during the Early Jurassic period, approximately 194-188 million years ago. Fossils have been discovered in the Hanson Formation of the Transantarctic Mountains.

During the Early Jurassic, Antarctica was part of the supercontinent Gondwana and had a much warmer climate than today. The region would have been characterized by temperate conditions with forests consisting of conifers, ferns, and cycads. Seasons in this period might have been marked by long periods of daylight and darkness due to the polar location.

Cryolophosaurus ellioti was a carnivorous dinosaur, likely a top predator in its ecosystem, adapted to hunting and scavenging in the forested environment of Early Jurassic Antarctica. Its niche would have included preying on herbivorous dinosaurs and other vertebrates living in the same habitat.