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 is a genus of theropod dinosaur that lived in South America during the Upper Cretaceous period. There is one known species, Abelisaurus comahuensis.
Abelisaurus was the first abelisaurid to be discovered, and gives its name to the family, the Abelisauridae. Abelisaurus is the type genus. Despite this, little is known about it.
The first, and only, fossils discovered were several skull bones found in Argentina. Scientists put them back together in the lab to create a skull. The skull is similar to that of other members of its family. Like most abelisaurs, it is blunt and short in length, but tall in vertical height from a front view. Abelisaurus probably preyed on the large sauropod dinosaurs of the time, such as Amargasaurus, in packs. It may 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
