In Depth Named in 2016 from a single specimen, Viavenator is another of the growing number of South American abelisaurid dinosaurs that are known to us. At a glance Viavenator does not seem to be anything special apart from being another abelisaur, however the authors of the paper describing this dinosaur have identified a combination … Read more
Carnotaurus: Research Database Abelisauridae (Theropoda) · Late Cretaceous (~72–69 MYA) · South America — Argentina (La Colonia Formation) Research Note: Carnotaurus was an abelisaurid theropod from the Late Cretaceous La Colonia Formation of Patagonia, Argentina. As one of the best-preserved abelisaurid specimens known, with exceptional skin impressions and a complete skull, it provides unparalleled … Read more
Ekrixinatosaurus: Research Database Abelisauroidea (Theropoda) · Late Cretaceous (~80–75 MYA) · South America — Argentina, Patagonia (Cerro del Pueblo Formation) Research Note: Ekrixinatosaurus was a large abelisauroid theropod from the Late Cretaceous of Patagonia, Argentina — one of the largest known theropods from South America besides Tyrannosaurus and the carcharodontosaurids. As a heavily-built predator … Read more
In Depth Although still often regarded as a valid genus, Indosuchus is considered by some to be a nomen dubium. This is because in 1933 Charles Matley and Friedrich von Huene not only named Indosuchus, but also Indosaurus and Compsosuchus, also from partial remains. Many palaeontologists consider these three genera to possibly be the same … Read more
Rugops: Research Database Abelisauridae (Theropoda) · Late Cretaceous (~95 MYA) · Africa — Niger, Egypt Research Note: Rugops is an abelisaurid theropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Africa — a continent where abelisaurids are poorly known compared to South America and India. Its discovery helped fill a major gap in our understanding of how … Read more
Eoabelisaurus: Research Database Abelisauridae (Theropoda) · Middle Jurassic (~170–165 MYA) · South America — Argentina (Cuyo Basin) Research Note: Eoabelisaurus is an important fossil taxon. See citations below for primary research literature. Research Finding Status Grade Year Method Citation Impact Zaher et al. 2020: Description of Eoabelisaurus as a new abelisaurid from the … Read more
In Depth Kryptops is a little known genus of abelisaurid theropod dinosaur that lived in North Africa during the Early Cretaceous. At the time of the original description in 2008, Kryptops was considered to be the most primitive known abelisaurid. Kryptops was described from a partial maxilla (main and posterior tooth bearing bone in the … Read more
In Depth Chenanisaurus is a genus of abelisaurid dinosaur that lived in North Africa towards the end of the Cretaceous period. Chenanisaurus is named from the description of a partial lower jaw, and while this does not give us much to go on, it does reveal a few things. While the jaw is incomplete, it … Read more
Skorpiovenator: Research Database Abelisauridae (Theropoda) · Late Cretaceous (~83–80 MYA) · South America — Argentina (Huincul Formation) Research Note: Skorpiovenator was a large abelisaurid theropod from the Late Cretaceous of Argentina — one of the most completely known abelisaurids and the apex predator of the Huincul Formation ecosystem. Its name means “scorpion hunter” — … Read more
In Depth With only the end of the tail missing, Aucasaurus has the most complete single abelisaurid skeleton currently known. This has allowed for more accurate general features which are thought to be common to the group such as the famously underdeveloped arms that are even more puny than those that appear upon Tyrannosaurus, to … Read more