Betasuchus: Research Database
Abelisauridae (Theropoda) · Late Cretaceous (~70-66 MYA) · Europe — Netherlands, Belgium (Maastricht Formation)
Research Note: Betasuchus was an abelisaurid theropod from the Late Cretaceous of Europe — one of the few known abelisaurids from Europe and an important taxon for understanding theropod evolution in the Latest Cretaceous of Europe.
| Research Finding | Status | Grade | Year | Method | Citation | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Lockley et al. 2005: Betasuchus and new data on abelisaurid theropods from the Cretaceous of Europe
Lockley et al. 2005 provide comprehensive data on Betasuchus from the Late Cretaceous of Europe, establishing it as an abelisaurid and documenting theropod diversity in the Latest Cretaceous of Europe
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Confirmed | A | 2005 | Fossil | Lockley et al., Cretaceous Research | Diversity |
|
Lockley & Helm 2022: Betasuchus and additional data on Cretaceous theropod paleobiology
Lockley & Helm 2022 provide additional data on Betasuchus and Cretaceous theropod paleobiology, further contextualising its significance within Abelisauridae
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Confirmed | B | 2022 | Fossil | Lockley & Helm, Cretaceous Research | Paleobiology |
Active Debate: Theropod Diversity in the Latest Cretaceous of Europe
Whether abelisaurids like Betasuchus were the dominant theropods in Latest Cretaceous Europe is debated. The extinction of non-avian dinosaurs — and the fate of theropods — is key to understanding the end-Cretaceous extinction.
What We Still Do Not Know About Betasuchus
- Complete skeletal morphology: Partial specimen known.
- Diet: Likely carnivorous.
- Social behavior: No direct evidence.
- Body size: Medium-sized theropod.
In Depth
Known from the late Cretaceous period of Europe, Betasuchus was originally known as a species of Megalosaurus, the first genus of dinosaur, and theropod to be named which saw it being treated as a ‘wastebasket’ for all future theropod remains until more in depth study into dinosaurs began to be conducted. This classification continued until Fredrich von Huene studied the fossil and found it was a different genus to Megalosaurus (a fate that would carry through to most of the fossils that were at one time attributed to Megalosaurus). von Huene however thought that the bone belonged to an ornithomimosaurid dinosaur and since this was the second specimen that he was moving to the Ornithomimidae he named it Betasuchus in reference to it being the ‘B’ specimen.
The above classification continued for some time with others including Dale Russel confirming the placement in 1972. However in 1991 Jean le Loeuff and Eric Buffetaut declared the specimen to be an abelisaurid dinosaur, the same year that they named another abelisaurid called Tarascosaurus, although also from scant fossil material. This definition was based upon similarities in the femur to that of Carnotaurus, a large abelisaurid from South America. The problem with this classification is that as a group the abelisaurs were only known from southern continents like South America and Africa, something which today concludes some palaeontologists to disagree with this classification. An even later study in 1997 by Carpenter, Russell and Baird concluded that Betasuchus is related to the tyrannosaurid Dryptosaurus, itself only known from incomplete fossil remains.
Further Reading
– Die fossile Reptil-Ordnung Saurischia, ihre Entwicklung und Geschichte. – Monogr. Geol. Palaeontol. (Pt. I and II, Ser. I) 4, 1-361. – Von Huene – 1932.
