Abelisaurus Characteristics

Abelisaurus was a bipedal (active on two legs) carnivore that probably reached 25 to 30 feet (7 to 9 metres) in length, although it is known from only one partial skull. The Abelisaurus stood 6.6 feet (2 metres) tall at the hips and weighed around 1.5 - 2 tons. Abelisaurus was a primitive theropod (meat-eating dinosaur) with a big head, a rounded snout and relatively small teeth.

Abelisaurus is known from a single skull that is 33 inches (85 cm) long. The skull is incomplete, particularly on the right side. It is also missing most of the palate (roof of the mouth). Although there are no bony crests or horns, like those found in some other abelisaurids, such as Carnotaurus, rough ridges on the snout and above the eyes might have supported some kind of crest made out of keratin, which would not have become fossilized. There are also very large fenestrae (window-like openings) in the skull, which are found in many dinosaurs and reduce skull weight.

Fossils have been found in Rio Negro Province, Argentina, South America.

Abelisaurus was named by J. F. Bonaparte and F. E. Novas in 1985.