Abelisaurus Facts
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Height | 2.5m |
| Length | 7.4m |
| Weight | 1.5 tonnes |
| Environment | Land |
| Era | Cretaceous |
| Period | Late Cretaceous |
| Type | Theropod |
| Location | Argentina |

| Diet | Carnivore |
| Height | 2.5m |
| Length | 7.4m |
| Weight | 1.5 tonnes |
| Environment | Land |
| Era | Cretaceous |
| Period | Late Cretaceous |
| Type | Theropod |
| Location | Argentina |
Abelisaurus was a fearsome theropod dinosaur that stalked the landscapes of South America during the Late Cretaceous Period, approximately 72 million years ago. This powerful predator lived in what is now Argentina, where its fossilised remains were discovered in the 1980s. Despite being known from only a single partial skull, Abelisaurus has provided crucial insights into the evolution of South American predatory dinosaurs.
As a large theropod, Abelisaurus was built for hunting, with an estimated length of around 7.4 metres and a height of approximately 2.5 metres at the hip. Its skull shows typical characteristics of its group, with a robust build and powerful jaws filled with sharp, curved teeth designed for slicing through flesh. Like other large theropods, it walked on two powerful hind legs, leaving its smaller arms free for grasping prey.
Abelisaurus was a carnivore that likely hunted other dinosaurs sharing its environment, including smaller theropods and possibly young sauropods. Its powerful build suggests it was an active predator rather than primarily a scavenger, though like most large carnivores, it probably wouldn't have refused an easy meal from a carcass.
The discovery of Abelisaurus has been particularly important for understanding dinosaur evolution in South America, as it represents one of the earlier members of its family group and helps scientists piece together how these predators diversified across the southern continents during the Cretaceous Period.
Abelisaurus had a robust skull with powerful jaws and sharp, curved teeth typical of large predatory theropods. Its skull shows the characteristic features of its family, including a relatively short snout compared to other large carnivorous dinosaurs. The partial skull fossil reveals thick bone structure suggesting a powerfully built predator.
Abelisaurus was likely an active predator that hunted other dinosaurs in its South American environment. As a large theropod, it probably had territorial behaviour and may have been a solitary hunter, though some evidence suggests certain large theropods occasionally worked together when hunting particularly large prey.
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Saurischia |
| Family | Abelisauridae |
| Genus | Abelisaurus |
Abelisaurus was first described by Roberto Abel and Susana Bonaparté in 1985. The original fossils were discovered at Río Negro Province, Argentina.