Name:
Abelisaurus (Greek for "Abel's lizard"); pronounced AY-bell-ih-SORE-us
Habitat:
Plains of South America
Historical Period:
Late Cretaceous (75-70 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About 30 feet long and 2 tons
Diet:
Meat
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Large head with small teeth; openings in skull above jaws
About Abelisaurus:
"Abel's lizard" (so named because it was discovered by the Argentinian paleontologist Roberto Abel) is known by only a single skull. Although entire dinosaurs have been reconstructed from less, this lack of fossil evidence has forced paleontologists to hazard some guesses about the anatomy of Abelisaurus. It's believed that this carnivore resembled a scaled-down T. Rex, with fairly short arms and a bipedal gait.
The one odd feature of Abelisaurus (at least, the one that we know of for sure) is the large holes in its skull, called "fenestrae," above the jaw. It's likely that these evolved to lighten the weight of its massive head, which otherwise might have unbalanced its entire body.
