Carnotaurus
Sign in to saveCarnotaurus is a genus of theropod dinosaur that lived in South America during the Late Cretaceous period, between 69 and 66 million years ago. The only species is Carnotaurus sastrei. Known from a single well-preserved skeleton, it is one of the best-understood theropods from the Southern Hemisphere. The skeleton, found in 1984, was uncovered in the Chubut Province of Argentina from rocks of the La Colonia Formation. Carnotaurus is a derived member of the Abelisauridae, a group of large theropods that occupied the large predatorial niche in the southern landmasses of Gondwana during the late
AI overview
Carnotaurus was a large meat-eating dinosaur that lived in South America roughly 69 to 66 million years ago, known from a single skeleton discovered in Argentina in 1984 that is exceptionally well-preserved. It belongs to a group of southern theropod predators called Abelisaurids, making it one of the best-understood dinosaurs from the Southern Hemisphere.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
17 sectionsContents
- Discovery
- Description
- Skull
- Vertebrae
- Forelimbs
- Skin
- Classification
- Paleobiology
- Function of the horns
- Jaw function and diet
- Locomotion
- Brain and senses
- Age and paleoenvironment
- See also
- Notes
- References
- External links
Carnotaurus is a genus of theropod dinosaur that lived in South America during the Late Cretaceous period, between 69 and 66 million years ago. The only species is Carnotaurus sastrei. Known from a single well-preserved skeleton, it is one of the best-understood theropods from the Southern Hemisphere. The skeleton, found in 1984, was uncovered in the Chubut Province of Argentina from rocks of the La Colonia Formation. Carnotaurus is a derived member of the Abelisauridae, a group of large theropods that occupied the large predatorial niche in the southern landmasses of Gondwana during the late Cretaceous. Within the Abelisauridae, the genus is often considered a member of the Brachyrostra, a clade of short-snouted forms restricted to South America.
Carnotaurus was a lightly built, bipedal predator, measuring in length and weighing . As a theropod, Carnotaurus was highly specialized and distinctive. It had two thick horns above the eyes, a unique feature unseen in all other carnivorous dinosaurs, and a very deep skull sitting on a muscular neck. Carnotaurus was further characterized by small, vestigial forelimbs and long, slender hind limbs. The skeleton is preserved with extensive skin impressions, showing a mosaic of small, non-overlapping scales approximately 5 mm in diameter. The mosaic was interrupted by large bumps that lined the sides of the animal, and there are no hints of feathers.