Abelisaurus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Abelisaurus |
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| Reconstruction of the Abelisaurus skull with original bones of the holotype. Scale = 10 cm | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Clade: | Theropoda |
| Family: | †Abelisauridae |
| Clade: | †Brachyrostra |
| Tribe: | †Carnotaurini |
| Genus: | †Abelisaurus Bonaparte & Novas, 1985 |
| Type species | |
| †Abelisaurus comahuensis Bonaparte & Novas, 1985
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| Synonyms | |
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?Aucasaurus Coria, Chippe and Dingus, 2002 |
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Abelisaurus was a type of meat-eating dinosaur called a theropod. It lived in South America during the Upper Cretaceous period, about 80 million years ago. There is only one known species, called Abelisaurus comahuensis.
Abelisaurus was the first dinosaur of its kind to be found. This is why the whole group of dinosaurs, the Abelisauridae, is named after it. Even though it's important, scientists still don't know a lot about Abelisaurus.
About Abelisaurus
The first and only fossils of Abelisaurus were found in Argentina. Scientists discovered several bones from its skull. They carefully put these bones back together in a lab to create a full skull.
What it Looked Like
The skull of Abelisaurus is similar to other dinosaurs in its family. It was short and wide when you looked at it from the front. But it was also quite tall. This shape is common for many abelisaurid dinosaurs.
What it Ate
Abelisaurus was a predator, meaning it hunted other animals for food. It probably hunted large plant-eating dinosaurs called sauropods. An example of a sauropod it might have hunted is Amargasaurus. Abelisaurus might have hunted in groups, like a pack. It could also have hunted smaller plant-eating dinosaurs, such as the small ornithopod Gasparinisaura.
Images for kids
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The Anacleto Formation where Abelisaurus remains have been found
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Size comparison of Abelisaurus (red) with other carnotaurins
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Artist's restoration
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Restoraton of the head of Abelisaurus
See also
In Spanish: Abelisaurus comahuensis para niños
