Ceratosaurus Characteristics

Ceratosaurus was characterized by large jaws with enormous, blade-like teeth, a large, blade-like horn on its snout and a pair hornlets over its eyes. Ceratosaurus measured around 20 feet (6 metres) in length, 13 feet (4 metres) in height and weighed around 1,360 kilograms (3,000 pounds). Ceratosaurus walked on its 2 strong hind legs.

Ceratosaurus had a huge, powerful tail which helped to balance its head and a bulky body with heavy bones. Their fore limbs were short but powerful, and it had 4 fingers on its hands equipped with sharp claws. Ceratosaurus had large eyes which implies it possessed very good eyesight. The bones of their sacrum were fused and the pelvic bones were fused together similar to modern birds. Evidence suggests that there may also have been a row of small spurs or even a low sail, along the spine.

Very scant remains of a Ceratosaurus-like theropod have been found in Tanzania and would have belonged to an animal at least 15 metres (50 feet) in length, much larger than Allosaurus. The skull of the Ceratosaurus was quite large in proportion to the rest of its body. Each premaxilla contained only 3 teeth and each maxilla (the main tooth-bearing bones in the upper jaw) held between 12 and 15 flattened, exceptionally long teeth.

Ceratosaurus was a ferocious carnivore and probably hunted in groups and would have competed for prey with the Allosaurus for sauropods, iguanodonts and stegosaurs. They may have also been scavengers.

Ceratosaurus was a theropod, whose intelligence (as measured by its relative brain to body weight, or EQ) was high among the dinosaurs.

Ceratosaurus was named in 1884 by paleontologist Othniel C. Marsh. Many Ceratosaurus fossils have been found, in Colorado and Utah, USA, and in Tanzania, Africa.