Name:
Allosaurus (Greek for "different lizard"); pronounced al-oh-SORE-usHabitat:
Plains of North AmericaHistorical Period:
Late Jurassic (150 million years ago)Size and Weight:
About 40 feet long and 3 tonsDiet:
Other dinosaursDistinguishing Characteristics:
Massive head; bony ridges over the eyesAbout Allosaurus:
Kind of a scaled-down version of T. Rex, Allosaurus was one of the most common predators of the Jurassic period, a fearsome creature with sharp teeth and a well-muscled body (though it's unclear how fast it was able to run). This dinosaur had an especially prominent head, some of the anatomical features of which (such as the distinctive ridges over the eyes) may have been meant to attract the opposite sex, not to intimidate smaller dinos.
As a sign of how common Allosaurus was on the plains of modern-day North America, paleontologists have discovered dozens of fossils, more or less intact, many of them in a single quarry in Utah. It's likely that these unfortunate Allosauruses were attracted by herbivorous dinosaurs mired helplessly in mud, and became trapped themselves when they stopped for a quick snack.
