Dinosaurs A to Z
Abelisauridae

Abelisaurus uh-belih-SORRUHS

"lizard"

Generic theropod body-plan outline
You 1.8 m (5.9 ft) tall
Abelisaurus 7.4 m (24.3 ft) long
as long as 5 people standing fingertip to fingertip
generic theropod body plan, scaled to length — not a silhouette of Abelisaurus
Length
7.4 m (24.3 ft)
Period
Cretaceous (145–66 Mya)
Place
South America
Food
Carnivore
Clade
Abelisauridae

Abelisaurus (; “Abel’s lizard”) is a genus of predatory abelisaurid theropod dinosaur which lived during the Late Cretaceous Period (Campanian) of what is now South America. It was a bipedal carnivore that probably reached about 7.4 m in length, although this is uncertain as it is known from only one partial skull.

What we know

  • Named by Bonaparte & Novas, 1985.
  • Body length estimated at about 7.4 m.
  • Fossils found in South America.

What we guess

The reconstruction notes for Abelisaurus — soft tissue, color, behavior — haven't been written up yet. Only the recorded basics above are filled in so far.