Name:
Ilokelesia (indigenous for "flesh lizard"); pronounced EYE-low-keh-LEE-zha
Habitat:
Woodlands of South America
Historical Period:
Late Cretaceous (95 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About 14 feet long and 400-500 pounds
Diet:
Meat
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Bipedal posture; broad tail
About Ilokelesia:
Ilokelesia was one of a wide variety of abelisaurs--small- to medium-sized theropod dinosaurs closely related to Abelisaurus--that inhabited South America during the middle to late Cretaceous period. This 500-pound meat-eater stood out from the pack thanks to its broader-than-usual tail and the structure of its skull; its closest relative was the much bigger, and much more dangerous, Mapusaurus.
