Line #91 UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeLargeTheropods


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3	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cryolophosaurus_ellioti.png]]
4	[[caption-width-right:350:One of the [[{{Pun}} coolest dinosaurs.]]]]
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6	->''"If Dorothy Gale had been swept by the whirlwind to some Mesozoic glade instead of to the Haunted Forest of Oz, she might have observed, 'Lions and tigers and bears are one thing, but these predatory dinosaurs are way out of hand!'"''
7	-->-- '''Gregory S. Paul'''
8
9	This section talks about "carnosaurs". We will begin with a word about its meanings. In old sources, this term included ''all'' large theropods, from ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursSaurischianDinosaurs Tyrannosaurus]]'' to ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursSaurischianDinosaurs Allosaurus]]'', from ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursSaurischianDinosaurs Ceratosaurus]]'' to ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursSaurischianDinosaurs Megalosaurus]]'', to ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursSaurischianDinosaurs Baryonyx]]'', ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursSaurischianDinosaurs Spinosaurus]]'', and sometimes even ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursSaurischianDinosaurs Dilophosaurus]]''. ScienceMarchesOn however, and now “carnosaur" has a much narrower meaning, indicating only the natural lineage including ''Allosaurus'' and its closest relatives, which make together the most advanced and bird-like giant theropods after the tyrannosaurs.
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11	But this change has happened only at the beginning of the 1990s (ceratosaurs and ''Dilophosaurus'' were removed earlier). That’s why pre-''Film/JurassicPark'' dino-fans still have the habit to call “carnosaurs” all the big meat-eaters in the dino-world - and let’s admit it, “carnosaur” is a very apt name, just meaning [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin meat(-eating) lizards]]. Thus, to avoid TaxonomicTermConfusion, we’ll use here the term “allosauroids” instead of “carnosaurs” to indicate ''Allosaurus'' relatives. Note, however, that megalosaurids and spinosaurids are sometimes considered non-allosauroid carnosaurs. Also, Friedrich von Huene, who named Carnosauria in 1920, recognized right away that ceratosaurs & tyrannosauroids were not carnosaurs.
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13	Of course the most portrayed large predatory theropods in documentary media are the stock ones: the seven classic "carnosaurs" above, already common in dino-books since TheEighties or even before, plus ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursSaurischianDinosaurs Carnotaurus]]'' & ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursSaurischianDinosaurs Giganotosaurus]]'' that joined them in TheNineties, when the word "carnosaur" had already assumed its current meaning. Other big meat-eaters, however, have also been common sights. Among the North-American ones, it's especially common the "small" tyrannosaur ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursSaurischianDinosaurs Albertosaurus]]'' -- or alternatively ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursSaurischianDinosaurs Gorgosaurus]]'' or ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursSaurischianDinosaurs Daspletosaurus]]''. Though less-frequent, the sail-backed allosaur ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursSaurischianDinosaurs Acrocanthosaurus]]'' can appear in Early Cretaceous reconstructions, and ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursSaurischianDinosaurs Torvosaurus]]'' in the Late Jurassic ones. The tyrannosauroid ''Dryptosaurus'' is noted for a painting made by Creator/CharlesRKnight at the early 1900.
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15	In Europe, a frequent choice is the megalosaur ''Eustreptospondylus'', see Series/WalkingWithDinosaurs for an example. Among Asian carnivores, the tyrannosaur ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursSaurischianDinosaurs Tarbosaurus]]'' is the classic guy for Cretaceous settings, while the allosaur ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursSaurischianDinosaurs Yangchuanosaurus]]'' and the hard-to-classify ''Gasosaurus'' are for the Jurassic ones. Among the African theropods, the allosauroid ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursSaurischianDinosaurs Carcharodontosaurus]]'', the spinosaurid ''Suchomimus'' and the Malagasy ceratosaur ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursSaurischianDinosaurs Majungasaurus]]'' have become common since the 1990s. Among South-American kinds, the allosauroid ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursSaurischianDinosaurs Mapusaurus]]'' and the allosauroid or tyrannosauroid ''Megaraptor'' have become popular since the 2000s. No especially relevant large theropod has been found yet in Australia (except ''Australovenator'' and more fragmentary remains like those of the "Australian Allosaurus" of ''Walking With Dinosaurs'' and others), while Antarctica has given to us the curly-crested ''Cryolophosaurus'', the animal of the image.
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21	[[folder:''Tyrannosaurus'' Relatives]]
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25	'''The Appalachian Dinosaur''': ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dryptosaurus Dryptosaurus]]''
26
27	* Not all tyrannosaur'''o'''ids were tyrannosaurids, remember this. Basal tyrannosauroids were often very different animals: smaller, slenderer, with ''three fingered hands''. Not exactly ''T. rex''es… only their skull structure was analogue to the tyrannosaurids. The most long-standing basal tyrannosauroid is ''Dryptosaurus aquilunguis'' ("eagle-clawed wounding lizard"), the first theropod discovered in North America from not-only-teeth, in 1866, before the Bone Wars. Because of its apparently untyrannosauroidian nature and scant remains, ''Dryptosaurus'' was long considered a hard-to-classify theropod (for example, a late-surviving megalosaur). After the discovery of North American forms like ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appalachiosaurus Appalachiosaurus]]'' ([[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin from the Appalachian mountains]]), ''Dryptosaurus'' has consistently been placed in the tyrannosauroid realm. However, it was more slender than true tyrannosaurs, and we don’t know if it had two- or three-fingered hands (they have never been found, apart from some isolated phalanxes). ''Dryptosaurus'' has also the distinction to be one of the few dinosaurs discovered in eastern USA, contrary to the quasi-totality of North American dinosaurs. Edward Cope called it "Laelaps", from a mythical dog turned into stone while jumping; Othniel Marsh, however, renamed it with its current name. ''Dryptosaurus'' was also the dinosaur ever depicted by the famous paleo-artist Creator/CharlesRKnight (when the dinosaur was still called “Laelaps”), with two individual fighting and one jumping over the other.
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31	'''Feathered Tyrant:''' ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yutyrannus Yutyrannus]]''
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33	* In 2012, a new and important find about the tyrannosaur lineage came to light: ''Yutyrannus'' (lit. "feathered tyrant": Yu = "feathered dragon" in Chinese, tyrannus = "tyrant" in Latin) from the Early Cretaceous of China. Iy was Proceratosaurid, an early group of tyrannosauroids that had three fingers and a much more gracile body-type. From the same Liaoning site in which other much smaller feathered dinosaurs have been found, ''Yutyrannus'' was much bigger than them (30-foot long, only slightly smaller than ''Tarbosaurus'') - but it too bears a complete covering of feathers. This suggests that even large true tyrannosauroids were feathered, not just their smaller ancestors. Despite its size ''Yutyrannus'' was very basal among tyrannosauroids, believed related with the 9-foot ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursSaurischianDinosaurs Guanlong]]'' and thus more distantly related with true tyrannosaurids than ''Dryptosaurus'' and ''Appalachiosaurus'' were. In 2015, the "feathered tyrant" made its first appearance in mainstream media by playing a major antagonist in ''[[WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTimeXIVJourneyOfTheBrave The Land Before Time 14]]''. It may be on its way to becoming a Stock Dinosaur in the near future.
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37	'''Dwarf Rex?:''' ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanotyrannus Nanotyrannus]]''
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39	* A much smaller animal was ''Nanotyrannus''. In year 1988, Bob Bakker described it as ''Nanotyrannus lancensis'', “dwarf tyrant from Lance Creek”; merely 18 ft long, it has been celebrated it as "the smallest tyrannosaur ever discovered in North America", living alongside the much bigger cousin ''T. rex''. But its only remain is a fragmentary skull, which could have been ''actually'' based on a juvenile of what very likely is ''Tyrannosaurus rex''. The "nanotyrant" has nonetheless appeared in several popular dino-books as a truly dwarf tyrannosaur living alongside the UsefulNotes/TyrannosaurusRex. Originally, before 1988, ''Nanotyrannus'' was believed a juvenile ''Gorgosaurus''. The closest thing there was to a "dwarf tyrannosaur" was ''Daspletosaurus horneri'', ''Alioramus'', and ''Nanuqsaurus'', all of which were under 25 feet long.
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43	'''False T. rex?:''' [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daspletosaurus Daspletosaurus]]
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45	* Over the decades, there have been multiple tyrannosaurid specimens coined as a species of ''Tyrannosaurus'', with the biggest examples arguably being ''Tarbosaurus'' and ''Daspletosaurus''. Some even believed that ''Daspletosaurus'' evolved into ''T. rex'' through anagenesis (which is a controversial concept in biology). However, with discoveries of tyrannosaurids more similar to ''T. rex'' like ''Lythronax'', ''Teratophoneus'' and ''Bistahieversor'', this theory came into question. This led to some analysts coming to the conclusion that ''Daspletosaurus'' was much more basal than previously thought, and that its superficial similarities to ''T. rex'' were a result of convergent evolution (due to them living in very similar niches). Another analysis argued that ''Daspletosaurus'' was a closer relative of ''T. rex'' than ''Lythronax'', but couldn't have been a direct ancestor. With ''Tarbosaurus'', things are a little less complicated. While ''Tarbosaurus'' was ''T. rex's'' closest relative, they still had too many skeletal differences to be considered the same genus. The discovery of a second Asian tyrannosaurid of similar size (but from millions of years before), ''Zhuchengtyrannus'', led to the idea that these three genera came from Asia, and that ''Tyrannosaurus'' was invasive to North America.
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49	'''Asian Cousins:''' ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alectrosaurus Alectrosaurus]]''
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51	* ''Alectrosaurus'', was perhaps the first-found large theropod in Asia, and is more probably a basal tyrannosauroid like ''Dryptosaurus''. Several undetermined tyrannosauroid remains found in Asia have been assigned to ''Alectrosaurus'', but are too undiagnostic. The alectrosaur's closest relative; ''Xiongguanlong'', was quite a bit older than it. Among other Asian findings, the small "Shanshanosaurus" and "Maleevosaurus" are now regarded as juvenile ''Tarbosaurus'', while "Raptorex" (whose name is a {{Portmanteau}} of "raptor" and "rex"), was originally thought to be a highly advanced Early Cretaceous form, but now appears to be the juvenile of a true Late Cretaceous tyrannosaurid that simply died falling into a lower strata layer. Given the time period this specimen came from, this may have even been the ancestor of ''T. rex'' in juvenile form.
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55	'''Strange Muzzle:''' ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alioramus Alioramus]]''
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57	* ''Alioramus'' literally means "the other branch" (of the tyrannosaurs) and was once thought the juvenile of ''Tarbosaurus'', but has revealed a truly small tyrannosaurid, whose long narrow skull shows small hornlets along its muzzle. It lived alongside the much bigger ''Tarbosaurus'' in Late Cretaceous Asia. Both the alectrosaur and ''Alioramus'' arguably occupied the role of the smaller and more agile predator in respect to ''Tarbosaurus''. Recently ''Alioramus'' was placed in its own tyrannosaurid subgroup, the Alioramines, alongside the similar but slightly younger ''Qianzhousaurus''.
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61	'''The Other Tyrants'''
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63	* "Aublysodon", described as early as the 1860s, is known mainly from unusually-blunt teeth found in North America and others were found later in Asia, and it may be just represent juveniles from known tyrannosaurids like what is possible for ''Nanotyrannus''. "Dinotyrannus" ("terrible tyrant") and "Stygivenator" ("Hunter from the Death-River"), both described in 1995, are today regarded as proper ''T. rex'' specimens. Unfamiliar North American tyrannosaurids have been named in recent years, often with badass names, such as ''Bistahieversor'' ("New Mexican destroyer", it was originally considered a southern species of ''Daspletosaurus'') in 2010, ''Teratophoneus'' ("monstrous assassin", a short-snouted form) in 2011 and ''Lythronax'' ("gore king", more broad-snouted) in 2013, ''Dynamoterror'' (Dynamic Terror) in 2018 and in 2020, ''Thanatotheristes'' (Death-Reaper, the oldest known so far). 2014 saw the discovery of truly unusual North American Tyrannosaur, this one from the same time period (the very end of the Cretaceous, about 68-66 million years ago) as ''T. rex'' itself. However, there's no chance that the two could have met, because ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursSaurischianDinosaurs Nanuqsaurus]]'' ("polar-bear lizard") lived above the Arctic Circle, in Alaska -- hence the name. It was also small, only about half the size of ''T. rex''. It was initially believed to be a late-surviving species of ''Gorgosaurus'', but was later reclassified as its own genus. This means that the tyrannosaur villains in the 2013 ''Film/WalkingWithDinosaurs'' movie, though labeled as ''Gorgosaurus'', [[WildMassGuessing could actually]] be ''Nanuqsaurus.''
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67	'''Dawn Tyrannosaur:''' ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eotyrannus Eotyrannus]]''
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69	* Most of the dinosaurs listed above were Late Cretaceous, either Asian or North American, but some basal tyrannosauroids have been found elsewhere: ''Eotyrannus'' “dawn tyrant” lived in Early Cretaceous Europe along with ''Iguanodon''. Known since 2001, its find in England made sensation both because of its earliness, and because was small: 10 ft long, even though it too could be a juvenile. It was similar to a large “coelurosaur” with a tyrannosaur-like head, and ''long, three-fingered forelimbs''. ''Eotyrannus'' adds additional support to the notion that tyrannosaurs were more related to ''birds'' than to the other “carnosaurs” in traditional sense (allosaurians, etc). Other basal tyrannosauroids or possible basal tyrannosauroids have been discovered in Northern continents: among them, the European ''Aviatyrannis'' ("bird tyrant") and ''Juratyrant'' ("Jurassic tyrant") were named with a different suffix than ''-tyrannus''. Of note also ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moros_(dinosaur) Moros intrepidus]]'', described only in 2019 but already chosen in 2022 as one of the seven new dinosaurs/Mesozoic reptiles within ''[[Film/JurassicWorldDominion Jurassic World: Dominion]]''. Other basal tyrannosaur relatives are listed in the “[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeOtherSmallTheropods small theropods]]” section, for example ''Proceratosaurus'' and ''Stokesosaurus''.
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73	'''The First-Found:''' ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deinodon Deinodon]]''
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75	* Few people today are aware of this practically unknown dinosaur, described only from teeth. Nonetheless, “Deinodon horridus” ("terrible tooth") has been the ''very first'' carnivorous dinosaur described in North America, in 1856, when dinosaurs were still only-European things. Its describer, [[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeDinosaurs Joseph Leidy]], didn’t realize that he named the first tyrannosaur, but only because ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' and its relatives had not been found yet. Now scientists think the “Deinodon” teeth pertain to another better-known tyrannosaurid, perhaps ''Daspletosaurus''. However, “Deinodon” has left one memory: once, the tyrannosaurid family used to be called “deinodontids”... or rather, this ''should'' be the correct name for tyrannosaurids: but is obscured by how ingrained the term "tyrannosaurid" now is.
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79	'''The Giant Claw:''' ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megaraptor Megaraptor]]''
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81	* Some think this dinosaur and its relatives (the Megaraptorans) are basal tyrannosauroids as well, but others do not agree. Discovered in the late 1990s and initially thought to be a large dromaeosaurid (hence its name), this South American Late Cretaceous theropod was variably classified in the past, from a small spinosaurid to an allosauroid, or even a large noasaurid – all groups characterized by some sort of oversized claws. Indeed, a one-foot-long claw was the first discovered ''Megaraptor'' fossil; and, wrongly, palaeontologists put on its foot, describing it like a giant-dromaeosaur critter. But then a complete hand including the same enormous claw of the original specimen was discovered, and we now know this claw was on its thumb instead. ''Baryonyx'' too had enormous thumbclaws, the same size of those of ''Megaraptor''; however, since ''Megaraptor'' was a smaller theropod, this means its claw could be the biggest among all dinosaurs in respect to the overall body size. How ''Megaraptor'' used those weapons (and they most certainly were weapons) is still a mystery; [[RuleOfCool for obvious reasons]], many have fun to imagine incredible massacres of herbivores, including [[NightmareFuel severed throats, disemboweled bellies]] and whatnot...but the more likely options are hooks to hold prey close and enable the creature to inflict more wounds with its jaws, or, more likely, slashing tools for cutting flesh with the sharp blade at the inside curvature of the talons, ripping out chunks and causing fatal wounds, but nothing as extreme as complete disemboweling or decapitation. ''Megaraptor'' got a fair bit of publicity back when it was discovered-- no doubt boosted by the ''Jurassic Park''-inspired "raptor-mania" of the 1990s. It appeared in ''VideoGame/WarpathJurassicPark'' and ''VideoGame/DinosaurKing'', portrayed in both as a giant dromaeosaur. The newer version with the claws on the hands has yet to appear in pop culture.
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87	[[folder:''Allosaurus'' & ''Giganotosaurus'' Relatives]]
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91	'''Runner of the Nile Delta:''' ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deltadromeus Deltadromeus]]''
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93	* In 1996, a smaller but still big theropod similar in shape to a slender ''Allosaurus'' was found in Africa alongside the huge ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursSaurischianDinosaurs Carcharodontosaurus]]'' one year later: ''Deltadromeus'', which was possibly an allosauroid or not. Around 30 ft long, nearly as big as an ''Allosaurus'', ''Deltadromeus'' had long, unusually slender hind limbs for its size: this suggests it was one of the fastest-running giant theropods, like the horned ''Carnotaurus'', and a predator as efficient as its bigger but clumsier neighbors ''Spinosaurus'' and ''Carcharodontosaurus'' (although others think it was an herbivore). Its name just means “delta runner” - a reference to the Nile's delta. Originally considered a giant primitive coelurosaur, it is more likely a ceratosaur (possibly a synonym of the giant but poorly-known ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahariasaurus Bahariasaurus]]''). Still another African theropod was originally thought by Ernst Stromer (''Spinosaurus''' Trope Namer) a second species of his famous dinosaur. However, it was later found that its bones actually came from two different dinosaurs: the limbs from ''Carcharodontosaurus'', and the vertebrae from a new dinosaur, which was renamed ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigilmassasaurus Sigilmassasaurus]]'' ("Moroccan reptile") in 1996. Some thought ''Sigilmassasaurus'' would end up being the same as ''Carcharodontosaurus'', but it now seems to be ''Spinosaurus'' after all (vindicating Stromer's suggestion).
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97	'''Sail-Backed Guy:''' ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altispinax Altispinax]]''
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99	* ''Spinosaurus'' was not the only theropod with a ridge on its back made by elongated neural spines: there were others as well. ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursSaurischianDinosaurs Acrocanthosaurus]]'' is the most well-known among “these others”. Other two less-known “sailbacks” of smaller size and with an even less-evident crest were ''Altispinax'' and ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metriacanthosaurus Metriacanthosaurus]]'', both European. Once placed in the “Megalosaurus wastebasket”, both are now considered allosauroids of some sort. ''Altispinax'' was renamed “Becklespinax” in the late eighties, because its first remain was an isolated tooth found in the XIX century. It's worth noting that ''Altispinax''[='=]s crested backbone was used in the middle XIX century as a model for the famous "Megalosaurus" sculpture in the Crystal Palace Park in London; this explains why the megalosaur model shows a humped back. Just as surprisingly, in spite of being a very obscure dinosaur, ''Metriacanthosaurus''' long name appears on one of the embryo-containing vials in the first ''Film/JurassicPark'' film. However, the name probably was referred to another better-known large theropod, the Chinese ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursSaurischianDinosaurs Yangchuanosaurus]]'' (which was by Gregory Paul synonymized with ''Metriacanthosaurus'' in 1988).
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103	'''Feathers. Or maybe Not:''' ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concavenator Concavenator]]''
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105	* In 2010, Europe has gifted us a new sailback, ''Concavenator'' from Early Cretaceous Spain. This carcharodontosaurid is maybe one of the greatest dino-discoveries of the year, with not only a small “hump” on its hips made by elongated neural spines; its arms show possible attachment points for filament-like structures. This would mean ''Concavenator'' could be ''a non-coelurosaur theropod found with feathers or feather-supporting structures''. Now our imagination can travel further and further, imagining feathered ''Allosaurus'', feathered ''Spinosaurus''… but wait: don’t get too excited. Other researchers have pointed out that these attachment points are more similar to those for muscles in crocodiles than feathers in birds, so this supposed evidence for feathers in ''Concavenator'' may not be valid at all. See also ''Sciurumimus'' in UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeOtherSmallTheropods .
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109	'''Allosaurs vs Tyrannosaurs:''' ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saurophaganax Saurophaganax]]''
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111	* One of the reasons behind the PoorMansSubstitute role ''Allosaurus'' has played in pop-culture is probably its smaller size compared to ''Tyrannosaurus rex''. But this is true only if you count the most known allosaurid species, ''Allosaurus fragilis'' (the second term, ironically, means “fragile”). Another species, ''Allosaurus maximus'' (“maximus” just means “the biggest” or ”the greatest”), has recently been thought distinct enough to be classified once more in its own genus, ''Saurophaganax'' (originally "Saurophagus", "reptile-eater", but the name was preoccupied). Nonetheless, the latter was so similar to the classic ''Allosaurus'', it might well return to the genus ''Allosaurus'' again. ''Saurophaganax maximus'' though, sounds much [[RuleOfCool cooler]] and it means "The greatest king of the reptile-eaters" opposed to ''Allosaurus maximus'', which means "The largest different lizard"". Other dubious synonyms of ''Allosaurus'' include "Creosaurus" (which some thought had a longer snout than ''Allosaurus'' proper) and "Labrosaurus" (based on an astonishingly deformed jaw). ''Saurophaganax'' was about the size of a T. rex and most of the really large ''Allosaurus'' depictions, which are really misnamed ''Saurophaganax'' from the days when the two were considered the same animal.
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115	'''Immense Allosaur:''' "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epanterias Epanterias]]"
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117	* Still another close kin has been described as a really huge animal, up to 15 m long, even bigger than an average ''T. rex'': "Epanterias amplexus". The astonishing thing is, "Epanterias" is known to science since as early as year 1878, ''25 years'' before ''T. rex'' was discovered! This awesome oversight is due to its extremely scant remains (to the point it was originally considered a sauropod). But the main point is another: "Epanterias" is very likely another overgrown ''Allosaurus'' species as well. If true, then our ''Allosaurus'' would deserve to be considered a real rival of ''UsefulNotes/TyrannosaurusRex'', ''Giganotosaurus'', and ''Spinosaurus'' for the King-Of-The-Dinosaurs title.
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121	'''New Hunter:''' ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neovenator Neovenator]]''
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123	* Since 2009 or so, ''Megaraptor'' is classified as an allosauroid, more precisely as a very specialized member of the family Neovenatoridae (here called "megaraptorans"). However, some workers think that megaraptorans may be coelurosaurs and possibly even tyrannosaurs. This recently-created family is based on ''Neovenator'' (“new hunter”), a much more normally-looking 7.5 long theropod which lived in Early Cretaceous England alongside former ''Iguanodon'' species ''Mantellisaurus'' as well as ''Iguanodon'' itself. Discovered in the 1990s, ''Neovenator'' unwillingly made a HilariousInHindsight case. It has indirectly made [[TruthInTelevision Truth In Books]] a classic in old dinosaurian portraits: that is, the battle between ''Iguanodon'' and an [[AnachronismStew anachronistic]] ''Megalosaurus'', which in RealLife lived in the Middle Jurassic. The 2009 discovery in Australia of the megaraptoran ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australovenator Australovenator]]'', "southern hunter", has likely revealed the true identity of the mysterious 'dwarf Allosaur' seen in Series/WalkingWithDinosaurs. Also of note is ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukuiraptor Fukuiraptor]]'', one of the rare Japanese dinosaurs. Initially known from the claw, this Early Cretaceous megaraptoran was initially considered a large deinonychosaur (again, the claw actually went on the hand). Perhaps the most interesting member of the neovenatorid family is ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerosteon Aerosteon]]'': discovered in Argentina in 2008, this allosauroid shows prominent ''air sacs'' in its bones, providing more evidence that birds are dinosaurs. Also notable is the fact that lived in the Late Cretaceous, in a time tyrannosaurids and abelisaurids (see further) were believed the only large predatory theropods still around. Also Argentinian but even younger than ''Aerosteon'', ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orkoraptor Orkoraptor]]'' was initially considered a [[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeBirdlikeTheropods birdlike theropod]]; probable carcharodontosaurid teeth from Brazil that are still younger suggest allosauroids as a group may have survived until the very end of the Cretaceous. While with the 2013 discovery of a North American megaraptoran called ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siats_(dinosaur) Siats]]'' ("man-eating monster"), neovenatorids are now known from every continent except Africa & Antarctica. Living about 90 mya, ''Siats'' is to date the youngest North American allosauroid. The recent discovery of a ''Megaraptor'' skull lends credence to an idea proposed by F.E Novas...that megaraptorans were not allosauroids, but ''tyrannosauroids''. However, this may simply be a case of convergent evolution. A real phylogeny chaos for ''Megaraptor'' and its relatives.
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127	'''Exotic Names in China:''' ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaochilong Shaochilong]]''
128
129	* Many allosauroids have been found in Asia, notably in China. This is evident if you read their names: just as an example, ''Yangchuanosaurus''. One theropod related to ''Yangchuanosaurus'' was named ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinraptor Sinraptor]]'' (“Chinese robber”) in the nineties. The latter became the prototype of the allosauroid family also containing ''Yangchuanosaurus'' and the sail-backed ''Metriacanthosaurus'', the sinraptorids, more basal than allosaurians (allosaurids + carcharodontosaurians); but in 2012 this family has changed name to Metriacanthosauridae, as ''Metriacanthosaurus'' has ended up a "sinraptorid" closer to ''Sinraptor'' than to ''Yangchuanosaurus''. Interestingly, the hands and hips of metriacanthosaurids are more similar to those of the more primitive megalosaurs than to those of other allosaurs. Other Chinese allosauroids & possible allosauroids are known only from extremely scant remains, so their classification has subject of several shifts. ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Szechuanosaurus Szechuanosaurus]]'', one of the first large theropods found in China, is known only from teeth, while some good skeletons once assigned to it are probably ''Yangchuanosaurus'' instead. ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xuanhanosaurus Xuanhanosaurus]]'' is now believed a metriacanthosaurid but may instead be a megalosauroid or a very primitive tetanuran. Curiously, some once thought ''Xuanhanosaurus'' was able to walk on four legs, thus making an exception among the exclusively-bipedal theropods (another large theropod once believed partially quadrupedal is ''Baryonyx''). ''Kaijiangosaurus'' is known from bones that may actually come from more than one species. ''Shidaisaurus'' is another metriacanthosaurid, this one found crushed beneath a sauropod; the Early Cretaceous ''Kelmayisaurus'' is known only from jaws that likely came from a carcharodontosaurid. Last example, the Late Cretaceous ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilantaisaurus Chilantaisaurus]]'' is a neovenatorid similar to ''Megaraptor'', but was once considered a possible megalosauroid or an intermediate allosaur-tyrannosaur. Known from somewhat better remains is the Late Cretaceous carcharodontosaurid ''Shaochilong'', which has a long and convoluted story. It was originally considered a second species of ''Chilantaisaurus'' when that dinosaur was named in 1964. Starting in 1998, it was found to be a coelurosaur (although whether it was a tyrannosauroid or maniraptoran was debatable) and informally named "Alashansaurus". In 2009, it was found to be a carcharodontosaurid—one of very few from Asia— and given its current name ("shark-toothed dragon"). Its recognition as a carcharodontosaurid also helped solve a mystery. Megalosauroids & allosauroids dominated the Jurassic lands, while tyrannosaurids held sway over the latest Cretaceous world. What happened between then, however, was a mystery. Did the more primitive theropods continue to rule, or did the tyrannosaurids "come to power" earlier than once thought? The presence of ''Shaochilong'' in Late Cretaceous rocks favors the former.
130
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132
133	'''A Less Exotic Name:''' ''[[http:/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasosaurus Gasosaurus]]''
134
135	* As you can easily tell now after reading this page, many large theropods [[TheUnpronounceable aren’t exactly the simplest things to pronounce]]. But there’s also a curious exception which comes just from China. This one makes a sort of comic relief among many huge theropod names, having one of the simplest, most obvious names one could imagine: ''Gasosaurus'' just comes from a gasoline company that funded the excavation of its skeleton. A smallish theropod, 4 m / 15 ft at the most, ''Gasosaurus constructus'' lived in Middle Jurassic, and its appearance was a sort of middle-way between a gracile “carnosaur” and a stocky “coelurosaur” (in the older sense of these words). Its classification remains uncertain, and suggestions regarding its phylogenetic position within Theropoda range from a metriacanthosaurid to the most ancient coelurosaur known to an early ancestor of both groups. The most recent large study of tetanuran theropods considers it "best regarded as having an uncertain position within Tetanurae and probably outside Coelurosauria".
136
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138
139	'''Dilophosaur Cousin?:''' ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monolophosaurus Monolophosaurus]]''
140
141	* Another reasonably complete theropod from Middle Jurassic China is not an allosauroid (though it was once considered one) but a very primitive tetanuran: ''Monolophosaurus jiangi'' (“Jiang's one-crested lizard”), so-called because of its single cranial crest vaguely similar to each branch of the double-crest of the unrelated ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursSaurischianDinosaurs Dilophosaurus]]'' ("two-crested lizard"), but shorter and more robust. Named in 1993 and informally known as "Jiangjunmiaosaurus" before then, it is probably a late-surviving form that managed to make its way among the more evolved allosauroids, a bit like what ''Ceratosaurus'' did in North America. ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuandongocoelurus Chuandongocoelurus]]'', known only from vertebrae and once considered a coelurosaur or ceratosaur, may be closest to ''Monolophosaurus''; if the known specimen is an adult, it is the smallest tetanuran outside of coelurosaurs. ''Monolophosaurus'' appears in the 2021 TV animated series ''WesternAnimation/JurassicWorldCampCretaceous''. The monolophosaur and the dilophosaur were about the same size and shape in real life, and the two theropods could be easily mistaken one for each other by non-experts.
142
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144
145	[[/folder]]
146
147	[[folder:''Spinosaurus'' & ''Baryonyx'' Relatives]]
148
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150
151	'''Croc Mimic:''' ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suchomimus Suchomimus]]''
152
153	* No other group of large predatory theropods was as specialized as spinosaurids. Their croc-like heads, their [[HookHand hook-like thumbclaws]], and their flat crests on their backs make them immediately recognizable; even though some other theropods had sail-backs or hook-thumbs, no one had the crocodilian-like jaws. As a group, they lasted a long time, starting in the Late Jurassic with African ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostafrikasaurus Ostafrikasaurus]]'' (known only from a tooth that might actually come from another type of theropod) and ending with an unnamed form from the mid-Late Cretaceous of China. However, spinosaurids as a group are recognized only since the late 1980s/early 1990s; before, the only-two known members, ''Spinosaurus'' and ''Baryonyx'', were believed so different that each was put in its own family: Spinosaurids and Baryonychids. In year 1998, a third spinosauroid was discovered in Early Cretaceous North Africa: ''Suchomimus'', lit. “the imitator of the crocodile”. 11 m long, bigger than ''Baryonyx'' but smaller than the unbeatable ''Spinosaurus'', has long been the only dinosaur ending in -mimus that is definitely not a bird-like coelurosaur. It was very similar to ''Baryonyx'': indeed, it was at one point believed to be a member of that genus. ''Suchomimus'' had longer legs in proportion to its body than ''Spinosaurus'' or ''Baryonyx'', meaning it probably spent more time on land than they did. ''Suchomimus'' was therefore the only spinosaur to have been the top predator of a terrestrial ecosystem, with the largest carnosaur in the area (''Eocarcharia'') being only about half its size. Despite its significance, ''Suchomimus'' is a rare sight in fiction compared to ''Spinosaurus'' and ''Baryonyx''. It was mentioned in ''Film/JurassicParkIII'', alongside ''Baryonyx'', when the heroes are trying to figure out what the ''Spinosaurus'' is.
154	----
155
156	'''Forgers of Dinosaurs:''' ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irritator Irritator]]''
157
158	* Another less-known spinosaurid has a name which reveals an astounding backstory: ''Irritator'' ("the irritating one"). Scientists are not robots: they too have feelings, and sometimes project them in their dinosaurs’ names. This Brazilian theropod is known only from one skull; sadly, this skull was badly affected by some fossil-poachers which rebuilt it making it longer than it originally was, even before the animal was named! When was found, scientists had hard time to rebuilt it correctly: when they finished the work, decided to call it ''Irritator'', the “irritating one” indeed. ''Irritator'' probably includes ''Angaturama'', another spinosaurid also discovered in Brazil (and the two could simply be the same specimen called two times with a different name!). Whether they're distinct or not, this mistreated skull pertains to a spinosaurid closer to ''Spinosaurus'' than to ''Baryonyx''; for obvious reasons, we don’t know if it had a “sail” or not. ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siamosaurus Siamosaurus]]'' ("Siamese lizard") was first-found in Thailand and originally based on teeth, which some thought were from a fish. A skeleton announced in 2004 suggests it is a dinosaur, but it has yet to be described in the literature. In 2011, another spinosaurid was discovered in Brazil from skull remains, ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxalaia Oxalaia]]'' (named from a river deity); estimated to be 12-14 m in length, is now the second largest known spinosaurid and one of the biggest known theropods, maybe even bigger than ''Tyrannosaurus'' or ''Giganotosaurus''. However, some paleontologists now think ''Oxalaia'' is simply a Brazilian specimen of ''Spinosaurus''.
159
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161
162	'''Double-Sail:''' ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ichthyovenator Ichthyovenator]]''
163
164	* Even newer than that is 2012's ''Ichthyovenator'', a double-sailed ''Spinosaurus'' relative from Laos, about the size of ''Baryonyx''. The discontinuity of its sail was upon the pelvis. Despite its name (literally "fish hunter"), neither the skull nor any other material that would indicate its diet are known. The few tail vertebrae found of ''Ichthyovenator'' indicate that at about half of its tail had long neural spines as well, indicating that it was partially flattened and paddle-like (whereas for ''Spinosaurus'' it was discovered in 2020 that the entire length of the tail had this adaptation), implying that while more primitive than ''Spinosaurus'' it was also highly adapted for swimming. Recently, it was hypothesized that even ''Spinosaurus'' had a double-sail like ''Ichthyovenator''. ''Siamosaurus'' and ''Ichthyovenator'' are among the rare Asian dinosaurs found in the South-East of this continent (precisely in Indochina): another is ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siamotyrannus Siamotyrannus]]'' -- so-called because it was initially believed a kind of tyrannosaur, this Thai theropod is now classified as an allosauroid. In 2010, a comparative analysis of oxygen isotope ratios was conducted using teeth and bone samples taken from ''Spinosaurus'', ''Baryonyx'', ''Irritator'', and ''Siamosaurus'', as well as crocodilians, turtles, and contemporary terrestrial theropods like ''Carcharodontosaurus''. The study found that spinosaurids' ratios were closer to those of crocodilians and turtles, indicating they were semiaquatic to varying degrees, with ''Siamosaurus'' possessing the greatest ratio difference from terrestrial theropods ([[{{Irony}} remember, some thought it was a fish!]]) and ''Spinosaurus'' possessing the least difference. The study posited that this semiaquatic behaviour enabled the spinosaurids to avoid directly competing with other theropods for land-based prey and large crocodilians for aquatic prey.
165
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167
168	[[/folder]]
169
170	[[folder:''Megalosaurus'' Relatives]]
171
172	----
173
174	'''Russian Dinosaur?:''' ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piatnitzkysaurus Piatnitzkysaurus]]''
175
176	* Roughly '''fifty''' theropod dinosaurs have once been labeled ''Megalosaurus'' at one point. Most have yet to be renamed, due to them being based on isolated teeth & vertebrae that tell us little. Many of the renamed ones have revealed to be totally unrelated animals (''Carcharodontosaurus'', ''Dilophosaurus'', ''Erectopus'', ''Majungasaurus'', ''Nuthetes'' etc.), but some were really cousins of the proper ''Megalosaurus'': the most important is ''Eustreptospondylus''. Among other "modern" megalosauroids, there is one which has received a deceptive name: ''Piatnitzkysaurus floresi'' was not discovered in Russia as it seems, but in Argentina. A smallish animal (4-5 m long), it is one of the few dinosaurs known from Jurassic South America (most dinosaurs from this continent are either Triassic or Cretaceous). It shared the habitat with the much larger primitive [[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeSauropods sauropod]] ''Patagosaurus''; these two animal were found together in the 1970s and desribed by Jose Bonaparte, the Argentinian paleontologist who named most South American dinos between the 1970s and the 1990s; among the others, ''Saltasaurus'', ''Carnotaurus'', ''Amargasaurus'', ''Riojasaurus'', and the "mouse-lizard" ''Mussaurus''. ''Piatnitzkysaurus'' has recently become the prototype of its own group, the piatnitzkysaurids, just placed outside the proper megalosaurians (megalosaurids + spinosaurids); interestingly, the group seems to be limited to the Americas and includes also the South-American ''Condorraptor'' and the North-American ''Marshosaurus''.
177
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179
180	'''African Hunter:''' ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afrovenator Afrovenator]]''
181
182	* Most megalosaurids belonged to one of two branches: the larger, more robust megalosaurines and the smaller, slenderer afrovenatorines (traditionally "eustreptospondylines", but ''Eustreptospondylus'' itself may not belong to the group). The first branch includes ''Megalosaurus'' itself, ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursSaurischianDinosaurs Torvosaurus]]'' and former ''Megalosaurus'' species ''Duriavenator'' ("Dorset hunter"). The second branch is much more diverse & widespread, containing five or six taxa. ''Afrovenator'' ("African hunter"), which lent its name to the group, has had an interesting ScienceMarchesOn story. When it was named in 1994, it was thought to come from the Early Cretaceous; however, work carried out in 2009 suggests it is far older, instead hailing from the Middle Jurassic. It has also been considered a megalosaur outside megalosaurids + spinosaurids (that is, a non-megalosaurian megalosauroid), a dinosaur closer to allosauroids and birds than to megalosaurs and even an allosauroid itself, but now seems to be a megalosaurid. The afrovenatorines also include the only Asian megalosaurid, ''Leshansaurus'' (originally considered a metriacanthosaurid allosauroid). These two, known from fairly good skeletons, are far more complete known than most other afrovenatorines. For example, ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piveteausaurus Piveteausaurus]]'' ("Piveteau's reptile") is known only from a ''Ceratosaurus''-like braincase, which has caused much confusion (some thought the entire animal was smaller than a man, while others thought it was actually ''Eustreptospondylus''). The original skeleton of ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poekilopleuron Poekilopleuron]]'' ("varying ribs") was lost in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, and the remaining specimens are also very fragmentary (in fact, it may even be an allosauroid); former ''Poekilopleuron'' species ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubreuillosaurus Dubreuillosaurus]]'' ("reptile of the Dubreuillo family") is known from a pretty decent skull. Interesting that ''Poekilopleuron'' was one of the very first dinosaurs described (before Owen coined the world "Dinosaur"), and that was also used as an early synonym of ''Allosaurus'', just like what happened to ''"Antrodemus"''.
183
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185
186	'''The Oxford Megalosaur''': ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eustreptospondylus Eustreptospondylus]]''
187
188	* ''Eustreptospondylus oxoniensis'' ("Oxford's well-curved vertebra") was from Middle Jurassic Europe and was more related with ''Megalosaurus'' than to ''Allosaurus''. It was smaller-sized than ''Megalosaurus'' being 2 m shorter and slenderer, but was once believed a ''Megalosaurus'' species. Its well-preserved skeleton is actually from a juvenile: some have suggested it to be the same as the more poorly known ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnosaurus Magnosaurus]]'', also a former ''Megalosaurus'' species, but it may be more primitive (curiously, both ''Magnosaurus'' and ''Megalosaurus'' mean "big lizard", but ''magno-'' is Latin, ''megalo-'' Greek). As two-thirds of the skeleton of ''Eustreptospondylus'' is known, compared to about half for ''Megalosaurus'' itself, this makes the eustreptospondyl the most well-preserved European large Jurassic theropod. People have long tried to determine its exact affinities: some early workers thought it was an intermediate form between megalosaurs and allosaurs, but since the rise of more thorough analyses, it has consistently come out as a true megalosaur. Interestingly another megalosaur, ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streptospondylus Streptospondylus]]'', was once considered a crocodile. Although ''Eustreptospondylus'' made a major media appearance in ''Series/WalkingWithDinosaurs'', it has not made the same pop-cultural impact as other animals introduced in that series. This probably because in its own episode (the one dedicated to sea-reptiles) has only a rather minor role, as the token dinosaur - and the only true dinosaur here. Here, some individuals of ''Eustreptospondylus'' hang themselves in an insular world with usually little food available, and one of them is easily captured by surprise by the oversized sea-reptile ''Liopleurodon'' at the start of the episode.
189
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191
192	[[/folder]]
193
194	[[folder:''Carnotaurus'' & ''Ceratosaurus'' Relatives]]
195
196	----
197
198	'''"Tyrannosaurs" in the Deep South:''' ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abelisaurus Abelisaurus]]''
199
200	* The theropods here are ''not'' tyrannosaurs and didn’t live in the DeepSouth, but the definition works well. Even though much more basal than tyrannosaurids, abelisaurids shared with the latter some specializations: robust skulls, long hindlimbs and shortened forelimbs. But most were only 7 m long, much smaller than the largest tyrannosaurids as well as many megalosauroids and allosauroids. Even though some incomplete specimens had already been found before 1985, like ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indosaurus Indosaurus]]'', ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indosuchus Indosuchus]]'', ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genyodectes Genyodectes]]''[[note]]this one was once thought one of them but has been recently re-classified as a more primitive ceratosaurian from the Early Cretaceous.[[/note]], and ''Majungasaurus'', abelisaurids were recognized as a group only in that year after the contemporary discover of its two prototypes: the unofficial one is the “horned” ''Carnotaurus sastrei''; the official one, ''Abelisaurus'', more precisely ''Abelisaurus comahuensis''. The latter also has long detained the record of the 1st dinosaur in the alphabet list, now occuped by the prosauropod ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeSauropodPredecessors Aardonyx]]'' ("Aachenosaurus" was thought a dinosaur but was actually a piece of petrified wood; "Abdallahsaurus" is an informal name for ''Giraffatitan''; ''Abdarainurus'' is an Asian titanosaur described in 2020, ''Abditosaurus'' a Spanish titanosaur described in 2022). Both from Late Cretaceous Argentina, these dinosaurs didn’t look so similar; ''Abelisaurus'' skull was long-snouted and totally horn-lacking, more similar to a miniaturized ''Giganotosaurus''. However, the shape of the orbits, the narrow lower jaw, and other “small” things indicate that it was a close relative of ''Carnotaurus''. Always remember that in systematics external appearance is usually a minor factor, even when coping with modern animals.[[note]]For example, among modern birds swallows and swifts are far in the evolutive tree despite their similar look and behavior: swallows (family Hirundinidae) are true passerine birds (order ''Passeriformes''), while swifts (family Apodidae) belong to the order ''Apodiformes'', and are thus closer to ''hummingbirds'' than to the songbirds. [[/note]] Unfortunately, the only thing we know from ''Abelisaurus'' is just the skull. Just one year after were found in Argentina the even scantier remains of the third abelisaurid recognized as such, ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenotarsosaurus Xenotarsosaurus]]'' ("strange-footed lizard").
201
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203
204	'''An Unexpected Diversity'''
205
206	* But other relatives found in more recent years are much more known: for example, ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aucasaurus Aucasaurus]]'' (portrayed in ''Series/DinosaurPlanet''). Discovered in the 2000s also in Late Cretaceous Argentina, ''Aucasaurus'' was one of the smallest members of the family (only 5 m long). Despite not showing neither horns nor a shortened skull, it was one of the closest relatives of ''Carnotaurus'', and, like the latter, had a strange look: forelimbs even more reduced than ''Carnotaurus'' itself, tiny stubs without any digits. The year 2002 saw the discovery of ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilokelesia Ilokelesia]]'' ("meat reptile"), another South American abelisaurid (although it was originally considered a more primitive ceratosaur). In paleontology, it is all too common for creatures to be based on poor remains, which do little to set them apart from related forms. When more complete specimens are uncovered, or when the known bones are restudied, strange features may come to light. Such was the case with abelisaurid bones uncovered in a dynamite explosion in 2004. Initial study of these bones suggested their owner was similar to other abelisaurs, if different enough to warrant a genus of its own: ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekrixinatosaurus Ekrixinatosaurus]]'' ("explosion-born reptile"). A 2011 reexamination suggests that it was far larger than previously estimated, at 11 meters in length. This makes it larger than most tyrannosaurs, and by far the largest of the abelisaurs.
207
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209
210	'''Emigrating in Europe'''
211
212	* Most abelisaurids were Late Cretaceous and have been found in South America, but remains have been found in most southern continents (once one landmass, Gondwanaland). In the same period, tyrannosaurids roamed Laurasia (the northern landmass). However, ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarascosaurus Tarascosaurus]]'' (also portrayed in ''Series/DinosaurPlanet'') and at least three other abelisaurs (''Betasuchus'', ''Genusaurus'', and ''Arcovenator'') managed to reach Europe, more precisely France and the Netherlands. Europe was at the time isolated to the remaining Laurasia: due to lacking of competition from the more evolved tyrannosaurids (which were exclusive to Asia and North-America and absent in Europe), these four were able to survive and become the top predators of Late Cretaceous European islands, but not the famous Hateg island of Romania -- here the role was assumed by a giant pterosaur, ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursNonDinosaurs Hatzegopteryx]]''. While ''Genusaurus'' and ''Tarascosaurus'' are primitive abelisaurids, ''Arcovenator'' seems to be most closely related to forms from Madagascar and India. ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betasuchus Betasuchus]]'' (the "Beta crocodile") was originally thought to be another species of ''Megalosaurus'' and later an ornithomimosaur because of the slenderness of its only remain (a femur).
213
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215
216	'''Strange Heads'''
217
218	* Many abelisaurids showed some kind of ornamentation on their skull, though none had the "bovine" horn of a ''Carnotaurus''. ''Majungasaurus'' is an excellent example of this. Interestingly, the majungasaur seems to be closely related to Indian abelisaurs like ''Rajasaurus'' & ''Indosaurus'', suggesting that these areas were connected at one point. ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajasaurus Rajasaurus]]'' ("Raja lizard") is today the most well-known Indian abelisaur, and is notable for its unusually robust built compared with the prototypical ''Carnotaurus''. Also related with ''Majungasaurus'' was ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugops Rugops]]'' ("wrinkled face"); known only from a skull, it nonetheless lived alongside ''Spinosaurus'' in Cretaceous Northern Africa. ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dandakosaurus Dandakosaurus]]'' lived in Jurassic India, and according to some was a basal ceratosaur, like ''Ceratosaurus'' and ''Genyodectes''.
219
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221
222	'''How Did They Evolve?'''
223
224	* Ever since they were recognized as a group, the abelisaurids have posed many problems for paleontologists. Arguably the biggest of these was their relationship to other theropods. As noted before, they show some similarities to tyrannosauroids -- indeed, the abelisaur ''Indosuchus'' (deceptively meaning "Indian croc", not to be confused with ''Indosaurus'' above) was once considered a tyrannosaur, and the mysterious large theropod ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labocania Labocania]]'' (one of the few dinosaurs described in Mexico) is similar to both groups as well as the allosaurs. It was also briefly proposed that abelisaurs were late megalosaurids. However, since at least TheNineties or so, they have been found to be ceratosaurs close to the typically much smaller [[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeOtherSmallTheropods noasaurids]]. With one mystery solved, however, another arose: when & where did the earliest abelisaurids live, and what did they look like? This question went unanswered for nearly twenty years. In 2012, the paleontological community apparently received the long-awaited answer in the form of ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eoabelisaurus Eoabelisaurus]]'' ("dawn ''Abelisaurus''"). Hailing from the Middle Jurassic of Argentina, its arms were longer than those of the more advanced abelisaurids, but still shorter than those of the tyrannosaurids. However, [[ScienceMarchesOn science may have marched on]] for this fellow, as a 2013 analysis suggests that it is not a true abelisaurid, but a primitive relative of abelisaurids & noasaurids.
225
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227
228	[[/folder]]
229
230	[[folder:''Dilophosaurus'' Relatives]]
231
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233
234	'''Even Palaeontologists have Fun!'''
235
236	* Paleontologists are not necessarily those nerdy people one could believe. Some do fit more in the AdventurerArchaeologist and BadassBookworm tropes - think about the famed ''Australopithecus'' specimen nicknamed [[Music/TheBeatles Lucy]]; the cowboy-looking Bob Bakker; the “Bone Wars” fought by two arch enemies…. and above all, [[Franchise/IndianaJones Roy Chapman Andrews]]. And yes, paleontologists ''do'' consume pop-cultural products just like all the other people. In the 1990s, even the most skeptical people were forced to change their idea about, in front of these two new-discovered theropods: ''Cryolophosaurus'' and ''Gojirasaurus''. Because the uniquely curly shape of its crest, the former [[NamedAfterSomebodyFamous was initially named]] "[[Music/ElvisPresley Elvisaurus]]"; the latter has been named after “Gojira”, [[NamedAfterSomebodyFamous which is the Japanese name of]] Franchise/{{Godzilla}}. And since RuleOfCool indisputably dominates every time dinosaurs are involved... some paleo-artists have been giving to our Godzillasaur unlikely features such as prominent/raised scutes along its back, [[DinosaursAreDragons just to make it look like its namesake!]] Talking more seriously, these two theropods are interesting because, along with ''Dilophosaurus'' and other less-known animals such as ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halticosaurus Halticosaurus]]'' (found in Germany and known since the start of the XX century from fragmentary remains), ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liliensternus Liliensternus]]'' (also discovered in Germany, and originally believed an ''Halticosaurus'' species), ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcosaurus Sarcosaurus]]'' (from England, whose name means "meat-eating lizard", the same meaning of the popular word "carnosaur", but carno- is Latin, sarco- is Greek), and still others like ''Dracovenator'' ("hunting dragon", found in South Africa), ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saltriovenator Saltriovenator]]'' (discovered in Italy and initially believed the first tetanuran), and ''Zupaysaurus'' (from Argentina, until recently the last member of the dinosaur's alphabetical list: since year 2017 has been the ankylosaur ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeAnkylosaurs Zuul]]''), they are among the earliest large-sized carnivores.
237
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239
240	'''One of the Coolest Dinosaurs:''' ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryolophosaurus Cryolophosaurus]]''
241
242	* ''Cryolophosaurus'' means “crested lizard from ice”; this is because it was the third dinosaur found in Antarctica, and the first one named, in 1993. But wait, it has not been found enclosed in ''ice'': even though it is cool to think, this is an impossible thing in RealLife. Not counting ice had formed on Antarctica only ''after'' the Cretaceous mass-extinction, bones cannot turn into stone [[FridgeLogic when surrounded by solid water]]… Antarctic dinosaurs have been found encased in ''rocks'' like everywhere in the world, in the rare ice-free portions of Antarctica at its extreme “north”. ''Cryolophosaurus'' was an Early Jurassic theropod 5-6 m long, which (along with the Chinese ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinosaurus Sinosaurus]]'', "lizard from China") could be a very primitive tetanuran -- some thought these two may be closer to ''Dilophosaurus'', but this is questionable.
243
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245
246	'''Named after a Kaiju:''' ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gojirasaurus Gojirasaurus]]''
247
248	* Found in Texas in 1997, ''Gojirasaurus'' was an ever more primitive theropod from Triassic: 15 ft long, was several times heavier than most carnivorous dinosaur from Triassic such as ''Coelophysis'' and ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeOtherSmallTheropods Procompsognathus]]''. Thus, it has received the same treatment of the “younger” ''Dilophosaurus'', hailed as “the first big-sized meat-eating dino of North America" -- even though the celebration of ''Gojirasaurus'' is more correct than the dilophosaur's one for obvious chronological reasons. Despite the interest surrounding ''Gojirasaurus'', its look is quite inconspicuous, similar to a robust ''Coelophysis'' and lacking any known cranial crest -- not exactly a Main/{{Kaiju}}. Then, other similar theropods were already known before the description of the gojirasaur; for example, the aforementioned ''Halticosaurus'' from Late Triassic Europe has been known since 1908, and was just as big. ''Liliensternus'' from the same habitat was also of similar size. The latter has been known since 1934, but classified as ''Halticosaurus liliensterni'' before 1984. As the second word of a scientific name usually doesn't change when the first one does, the resulting full scientific name of this dinosaur has become ''Liliensternus liliensterni''.
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Context UsefulNotes / PrehistoricLifeLargeTheropods