Carnotaurus
CAR-no-TAWR-us
Notable for the thick horns above its eyes, Carnotaurus is a theropod from the Late Cretaceous period. Weighing around 2 tonnes and spanning 10m in length with two rows of long, sharp teeth, this carnivorous dinosaur was the apex predator of its era – and the combination of its unique horns and flesh-ripping teeth gave Carnotaurus its name, meaning ‘meat-eating bull’.
Discovery
Everything that is known about Carnotaurus comes from a single near-complete skeleton, discovered by Argentine palaeontologist José Bonaparte. The fossils were unearthed in Chubut Province, Argentina in 1984, with further exploration of the area uncovering numerous skin patches from the same dinosaur.
Palaeoecology
Carnotaurus lived among the lakes and lagoons of South America around 70m years ago, preferring the warmth and humidity of this environment. It lived alongside various species of dinosaur as well as crocodiles and turtles, using its powerful hind legs to catch smaller prey such as Niebla antiqua.
Information
- Era
- Late Cretaceous
- Family
- Abelisauridae
- Genus
- Carnotaurus
- Height
- 2.9M
- Length
- 10.4M
- Weight
- 2.1T
- Diet
- Carnivore, Live Prey
- Egg batch size
- 2 - 4
