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Carcharodontosaurid
Carcharodontosauridae (carcharodontosaurids; from the Greek καρχαροδοντόσαυρος, ''carcharodontósauros'': "shark-toothed lizards") is a group of carnivorous theropod dinosaurs. In 1931, Ernst Stromer named Carcharodontosauridae as a family, which, in modern paleontology, indicates a clade within Carnosauria. Carcharodontosaurids include some of the largest land predators ever known: ''Giganotosaurus'', ''Mapusaurus'', ''Carcharodontosaurus'', and ''Tyrannotitan'' all rivaled or exceeded ''Tyrannosaurus'' in size. A 2015 paper by Christophe Hendrickx and colleagues gives a maximum length estimate of for the largest carcharodontosaurids, while the smallest carcharodontosaurids were estimated to have been at least long. Evolution Along with the spinosaurids, carcharodontosaurids were the largest predators in the early and middle Cretaceous throughout Gondwana, with species also present in North America (''Acrocanthosaurus''), Europe (''Concavenator'') and Asia ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Giganotosaurus
''Giganotosaurus'' ( ) is a genus of theropod dinosaur that lived in what is now Argentina, during the early Cenomanian age of the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 99.6 to 95 million years ago. The holotype specimen was discovered in the Candeleros Formation of Patagonia in 1993 and is almost 70% complete. The animal was named ''Giganotosaurus carolinii'' in 1995; the genus name translates to "giant southern lizard", and the specific name honors the discoverer, Rubén D. Carolini. A dentary bone, a tooth, and some tracks, discovered before the holotype, were later assigned to this animal. The genus attracted much interest and became part of a scientific debate about the maximum sizes of theropod dinosaurs. ''Giganotosaurus'' was one of the largest known terrestrial carnivores, but the exact size has been hard to determine due to the incompleteness of the remains found so far. Estimates for the most complete specimen range from a length of , a skull in length, and a we ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Concavenator Skull Diagram
''Concavenator'' is an extinct genus of theropod dinosaur that lived approximately 130 million years ago during the early Cretaceous period (Barremian age). The type species is ''C. corcovatus''; ''Concavenator corcovatus'' means " Cuenca hunter with a hump". The fossil was discovered in the Las Hoyas fossil site of Spain by paleontologists José Luis Sanz, Francisco Ortega and Fernando Escaso from the Autonomous University of Madrid and the National University of Distance Education. Description ''Concavenator'' was a medium-sized primitive carcharodontosaurian dinosaur, reaching in length and in body mass. It possessed several unique features, including the two extremely tall vertebrae in front of the hips which formed a tall but narrow and pointed crest (possibly supporting a hump) on the dinosaur's back. The function of such crests is currently unknown. Paleontologist Roger Benson from the University of Cambridge speculated that one possibility is that "it is analogous to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Acrocanthosaurus
''Acrocanthosaurus'' ( ; ) is a genus of carcharodontosaurid dinosaur that existed in what is now North America during the Aptian and early Albian stages of the Early Cretaceous, from 113 to 110 million years ago. Like most dinosaur genera, ''Acrocanthosaurus'' contains only a single species, ''A. atokensis''. Its fossil remains are found mainly in the U.S. states of Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming, although teeth attributed to ''Acrocanthosaurus'' have been found as far east as Maryland, suggesting a continent wide range. ''Acrocanthosaurus'' was a bipedal predator. As the name suggests, it is best known for the high neural spines on many of its vertebrae, which most likely supported a ridge of muscle over the animal's neck, back, and hips. ''Acrocanthosaurus'' was one of the largest theropods, with the largest known specimen reaching in length and weighing approximately . Large theropod footprints discovered in Texas may have been made by ''Acrocanthosaurus'', although there ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Concavenator
''Concavenator'' is an extinct genus of theropod dinosaur that lived approximately 130 million years ago during the early Cretaceous period (Barremian age). The type species is ''C. corcovatus''; ''Concavenator corcovatus'' means " Cuenca hunter with a hump". The fossil was discovered in the Las Hoyas fossil site of Spain by paleontologists José Luis Sanz, Francisco Ortega and Fernando Escaso from the Autonomous University of Madrid and the National University of Distance Education. Description ''Concavenator'' was a medium-sized primitive carcharodontosaurian dinosaur, reaching in length and in body mass. It possessed several unique features, including the two extremely tall vertebrae in front of the hips which formed a tall but narrow and pointed crest (possibly supporting a hump) on the dinosaur's back. The function of such crests is currently unknown. Paleontologist Roger Benson from the University of Cambridge speculated that one possibility is that "it is analogous ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tyrannotitan
''Tyrannotitan'' (; ) is a genus of huge bipedal carnivorous dinosaur of the carcharodontosaurid family from the Aptian stage of the early Cretaceous period, discovered in Argentina. It is closely related to other giant predators like ''Carcharodontosaurus'' and especially ''Giganotosaurus'' as well as ''Mapusaurus''. Discovery and species ''Tyrannotitan chubutensis'' was described by Fernando E. Novas, Silvina de Valais, Pat Vickers-Rich, and Tom Rich in 2005. The fossils were found at La Juanita Farm, northeast of Paso de Indios, Chubut Province, Argentina. They are believed to have been from the Cerro Castaño Member, Cerro Barcino Formation (Aptian stage). The holotype material was designated MPEF-PV 1156 and included partial dentaries, teeth, back vertebrae 3–8 and 11–14, proximal tail vertebrae, ribs and chevrons, a fragmentary scapulocoracoid, humerus, ulna, partial ilium, a nearly complete femur, fibula, and left metatarsal 2. Additional material (designated M ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mapusaurus
''Mapusaurus'' () was a giant carcharodontosaurid carnosaurian dinosaur from the early Late Cretaceous (early Turonian stage), approximately 93.9 to 89.6 million years ago, of what is now Argentina. Discovery ''Mapusaurus'' was excavated between 1997 and 2001, by the Argentinian-Canadian Dinosaur Project, from an exposure of the Huincul Formation ( Rio Limay Subgroup, Cenomanian) at Cañadón del Gato. It was described and named by paleontologists Rodolfo Coria and Phil Currie in 2006. The name ''Mapusaurus'' is derived from the Mapuche word ''Mapu'', meaning 'of the Land' or 'of the Earth' and the Greek ''sauros'', meaning 'lizard'. The type species, ''Mapusaurus roseae'', is named for both the rose-colored rocks, in which the fossils were found and for Rose Letwin, who sponsored the expeditions which recovered these fossils. The designated holotype for the genus and type species, ''Mapusaurus roseae'', is an isolated right nasal (MCF-PVPH-108.1, Museo Carmen Funes, Paleo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shaochilong
''Shaochilong'' (meaning "shark toothed dragon") is an extinct genus of carcharodontosaurid dinosaur from the mid-Cretaceous (Late Cenomanian to the end of the Turonian stage) Ulansuhai Formation of China (about 92 million years ago). The type species, ''S. maortuensis'', was originally named ''Chilantaisaurus maortuensis'', but was re-described and reclassified in 2009. It was one of the last known carcharodontosaurids to walk the earth. Alongside ''Ulughbegsaurus'' from Uzbekistan and ''Mapusaurus'' from Argentina, they were the only members of the family to live until the end of the Turonian epoch. History The material referred to ''Shaochilong'', IVPP V.2885.1-7, consisted of skull fragments (a braincase, partial skull roof, quadrates, and a right maxilla), axis and six caudal vertebrae. A fragmentary left maxilla was also referred to the species, although it has apparently gone missing as of 2009. Although these are believed to belong to a single individual, a lectotype was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Meraxes
''Meraxes'' is a genus of carcharodontosaurid theropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Huincul Formation of Argentine Patagonia. The genus contains a single species, ''Meraxes gigas''. Discovery and naming The holotype of ''Meraxes'', previously called the "Campanas carcharodontosaurid", MMCh-PV 65, was discovered in 2012. Known bones include a nearly complete skull, pectoral and pelvic elements, partial forelimbs, complete hindlimbs, fragmentary ribs and cervical and dorsal vertebrae, a sacrum, and several complete caudal vertebrae. It has the most complete carcharodontosaurid skeleton known from the Southern Hemisphere. ''Meraxes gigas'' was described in 2022 by Canale ''et al''. based on these remains. The generic name, "''Meraxes''", honors a dragon from the George R.R. Martin fantasy novel series, '' A Song of Ice and Fire''. The specific name, "''gigas''", is derived from a Greek word meaning "giant", in reference to its large size. Description ''Meraxes'' w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carcharodontosaurus
''Carcharodontosaurus'' (; ) is a genus of large carcharodontosaurid theropod dinosaur that existed during the Cenomanian age of the Late Cretaceous in Northern Africa. The genus ''Carcharodontosaurus'' is named after the shark genus ''Carcharodon'', itself composed of the Greek (, meaning "jagged" or "sharp") and (, "teeth"), and the suffix ' ("lizard"). It is currently known to have two species: ''C. saharicus'' and ''C. iguidensis''. History of discovery In 1924, two teeth were found in the Continental intercalaire of Algeria, showing what were at the time unique characteristics. These teeth were described by Depéret and Savornin (1925) as representing a new taxon, which they named ''Megalosaurus saharicus'' and later categorized in the subgenus ''Dryptosaurus''. Some years later, paleontologist Ernst Stromer described the remains of a partial skull and skeleton from Cenomanian aged rocks in the Bahariya Formation of Egypt (Stromer, 1931); originally excavated in 1914, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scipionyx
''Scipionyx'' ( ) was a genus of theropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Italy, around 113 million years ago. There is only one fossil known of ''Scipionyx'', discovered in 1981 by an amateur paleontologist and brought to the attention of science in 1993. In 1998 the type species ''Scipionyx samniticus'' was named, the generic name meaning "Scipio's claw". The find generated much publicity because of the unique preservation of large areas of petrified soft tissue and internal organs such as muscles and intestines. The fossil shows many details of these, even the internal structure of some muscle and bone cells. It was also the first dinosaur found in Italy. Because of the importance of the specimen, it has been intensely studied. The fossil is that of a juvenile only half a metre (twenty inches) long and perhaps just three days old. Its adult size is unknown. ''Scipionyx'' was a bipedal predator, its horizontal rump balanced by a long tail. Its body was probably covered b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carnosauria
Carnosauria is an extinct large group of predatory dinosaurs that lived during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Starting from the 1990s, scientists have discovered some very large carnosaurs in the carcharodontosaurid family, such as ''Giganotosaurus'', ''Mapusaurus'', ''Carcharodontosaurus'' and ''Tyrannotitan'' which are among the largest known predatory dinosaurs. While it originally contained a wide assortment of giant theropods that were not closely related, the group has since been defined to encompass only the allosaurs and their closest kin. However, with the description and publication in 2019 of ''Asfaltovenator vialidadi'', a basal allosauroid curiously displaying both primitive and derived features seen in Tetanurae, the new phylogenetic analysis has found Megalosauroidea to be a basal grade of carnosaurs in respect to Allosauroidea; thus significantly expanding Carnosauria's inclusiveness towards its original context. Distinctive characteristics of carnosaurs ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Taurovenator
''Taurovenator'' is a medium-sized carcharodontosaurid theropod from the late Cretaceous of Argentina. Discovered by Matias Motta in 2005 and formally described in 2016, it is represented by an isolated right postorbital. Etymology The ''tauro~'' prefix in the generic name ''Taurovenator'' comes from the Latin ''taurus'', meaning "bull", and ''venator'' meaning "hunter". The specific name honors Enzo Violante, the owner of the Violante farm where the animal was discovered. Discovery The remains of ''Taurovenator'' were discovered in a layer of the Huincul Formation on the Violante Farm, southeast of the Ezequiel Ramos-Mexía Lake, Río Negro Province, Argentina, by Matías Motta in 2005. ''Taurovenator'' was found alongside the megaraptoran ''Aoniraptor'' and indeterminate remains of other Carcharodontosauridae, as well as abelisauroids and Paraves. This diverse assemblage of theropods was part of the Huincul Formation in Neuquén Province. They shared this environment wit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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