| Abelisaurus | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| General information | |||
| Universe | Real Life | ||
| Classification | Abelisaurus comahuensis | ||
| Species type | osaur | ||
| Homeworld | Earth | ||
| Environment | Patagonia, South America | ||
| Intelligence | Non-Sapient | ||
| Biochemistry | Carbon-based lifeform | ||
| Biological information | |||
| Reproduction | Sexual; lay eggs | ||
| Average length | 7 to 9 meters (23 to 30 feet) | ||
| Locomotion | Bipedal | ||
| Feeding behavior | Carnivore | ||
| Lineage information | |||
| Cultural information | |||
| Alignment | Neutral | ||
| Affiliation(s) | Independent | ||
| Sociocultral characteristics | |||
| Scientific taxonomy | |||
| Planet | Earth | ||
| Domain | Eukaryota | ||
| Kingdom | Animalia | ||
| Subkingdom | Eumetazoa | ||
| Infrakingdom | Bilateria | ||
| Superphylum | Deuterostomia | ||
| Phylum | Chordata | ||
| Subphylum | Vertebrata | ||
| Infraphylum | Gnathostomata | ||
| Superclass | Tetrapoda | ||
| Class | Reptilia | ||
| Subclass | Archosauria | ||
| Infraclass | Avemetatarsalia | ||
| Superorder | Dinosauria | ||
| Order | Saurischia | ||
| Suborder | Eusaurischia | ||
| Infraorder | Theropoda | ||
| Superfamily | Abelisauroidea | ||
| Family | Abelisauridae | ||
| Subfamily | Carnotaurinae | ||
| Infrafamily | Brachyrostra | ||
| Supergenus | Carnotaurini | ||
| Genus | Abelisaurus | ||
| Species | comahuensis | ||
| Other information | |||
| Status | Extinct | ||
Abelisaurus comahuensis (/əˌbɛlɨˈsɔrəs/; "Abel's lizard") was a genus of abelisaurud theropod dinosaurs that lived in what is now South America during the Late Cretaceous Period (AKA the Campanian). They lived tyrannosaurine lifestyles, walking bipedally and feasting upon meat. Although only known from one partial skull, they are believed to have reached around 7 to 9 meters (23 to 30 feet) in length, with a head that measured in at over 85 centimeters (33 inches) long.
Abelisaurus was likely a basal abelisaurid. Interestingly, they share some skull features with the carcharodontosaurids, though it is currently believed to be unlikely to be related to the species.
Fossil material and age[]
Although there are no bony crests or horns, like those found in some other abelisaurids, such as Carnotaurus, rough ridges on the snout and above the eyes might have supported some kind of crest made out of keratin, which would not have become fossilized. There are also very large fenestrae (window-like openings) in the skull, which are found in many dinosaurs and reduce skull weight.
Abelisaurus is one of the many dinosaurs that have been discovered in Patagonia. They were eventually determined to have lived during the Anacleto geologic formation in South America, which dates from the early Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous Period, between 83 and 80 million years ago.