Ceratosaurus
ser-AT-oh-SAWR-us
At around 7m in length and just under one ton in weight, Ceratosaurus is an average-sized theropod from the Late Jurassic period. This carnivore is best known for the large horn on its snout and two further horns above its eyes, which gave rise to its name – Ceratosaurus translates to ‘horned lizard’.
Discovery
The first discovery of Ceratosaurus came in 1883, when Marshall Parker Felch dug up a near-complete skeleton in Cañon City, Colorado – one of many dinosaurs found in the area around this time. Further Ceratosaurus remains have been found across North America, with some fossils unearthed as far away as Portugal and Tanzania.
Palaeoecology
Ceratosaurus lived in North America around 150m years ago and co-existed with larger dinosaurs including Apatosaurus and the fearsome apex predator Allosaurus. As a carnivore further down the food chain, Ceratosaurus kept clear of larger dinosaurs, prowling the forests for smaller herbivores to prey upon.
Information
- Era
- Late Jurassic
- Family
- Ceratosauridae
- Genus
- Ceratosaurus
- Height
- 2M
- Length
- 7M
- Weight
- 700Kg
- Diet
- Carnivore, Live Prey
- Egg batch size
- 1 - 3
