Allosaurus
Lion of the Jurassic
Allosaurus is referred to as "Lion of the Jurassic“ because, like the lion in the African savannah, he is a feared predator at the top of the food chain was in law.
It was one of the largest and most dangerous predators of its time and hunted a wide variety of prey
Allosaurus had strong jaws and sharp teeth, which made him an efficient hunter. Its size (up to 12 meters long) and weight (almost 5 tons) contributed to its imposing appearance.
This dinosaur was a carnivore that moved on two powerful hind legs. His arms were short and strong and ended in three powerful claws. However, the forearms were not long enough to reach the mouth. In any case, they were not suitable for eating.
Allosaurus means different kind of lizard. His discoverer O.C. Marsh gave it this name because the vertebral bones looked different than those he had previously known.
| Profile | Allosaurus |
|---|---|
| epoch | Upper Jurassic (157 to 152 million years ago) |
| Order | Lizard-pelvis dinosaur (Saurischia) |
| Subordination | Theropoda |
| Family | Carnosauria |
| group | Allosauridae |
| genus | Allosaurus |
| Art | Allosaurus fragilis Marsh, 1877 Allosaurus europaeus Mateus, 2006 Allosaurus lucasi Dalman, 2014 Allosaurus maximus/Saurophaganax maximus Chure, 1995 Allosaurus? tendagurensis Janensch, 1925 Allosaurus jimmadseni Chure & Loewen, 2020 |
| Height | 2.5 – 3.5 meters |
| length | 10 – 12 meters |
| Weight | 4 tons |
| Locations | North America and Southern Europe, Australia |
Eating behavior
T-Rex and Allosaurus were very similar in shape and size. However, studies have now shown that they differ significantly in their feeding behavior (Eric Snively and colleagues from Ohio University in Athens). While T-Rex tore out flesh after biting the victim by violently shaking its head, similar to what crocodiles do, Allosaurus behaved completely differently.
Allosaurus, on the other hand, has driven its upper jaw deep into the flesh of its victim; Similar to today's raptor birds, and by pulling forcefully backwards, flesh is torn out. However, since his skull was significantly lighter compared to T-Rex, he had to use his entire body for this technique. The strength of the neck muscles would probably not have been enough with this technique.
It had saw-shaped, serrated teeth that were up to 10 cm long. 40 teeth were found in the upper jaw and 32 teeth in the lower jaw.
Habitat
Allosaurus lived in open, dry areas crossed by rivers. He primarily hunted smaller species of dinosaurs such as Coelurus, Ornitholestes and Diplodocus.
However, fossil discoveries of Stegosaurus have shown that it also dared to attack larger prey.
Based on fossilized footprints, it is assumed that Allosaurus' preferred hunting grounds were watering holes where it ambushed its prey.
Image sources:
(Cover photo) This photo was taken by Przemysław JahrAutorem zdjęcia jest Przemysław JahrWykorzystując zdjęcie proszę podać jako autora:Przemysław Jahr / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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