 (sair-AT-o-sawr-us) Ceratosaurus means "horned lizard"
and was so named because it belonged to an unusual family of horned flesh eaters. It is
thought to have been related to Allosaurus, another flesh eater. But Ceratosaurus is the
only dinosaur of its kind known to have had a horn on its nose.
Ceratosaurus was up to 20 feet long and had a row
of small, bony plates running down its back. It had short front legs with four fingers,
each with a small claw. Each foot had three toes, also clawed. Ceratosaurus had a large
head and a lightweight bone structure. Its teeth were shaped for tearing flesh and killing
large animals.
| Combat between rivals Two rival male Ceratosaurus stand side by side and
whack each other with their horned heads. Another possible function of the horns is
competitive display: rival males may have harmlessly shown their horns off by nodding
their heads vigorously up and down, in the same way as certain lizards do today. |
Ceratosaurus probably hunted in packs.
Scientists have discovered sets of Ceratosaurus footprints, suggesting that they roamed in
groups. It probably lived about the same time as Megalosaurus but a long time before
Tyrannosaurus, another flesheater. Dinosaurs like these would have been feared by all
other animals. They were big and powerful and had large appetites.
Location: USA, Tanzamia
Diet: Herbivorous dinosaurs
Size: Length 4.6-6m (15ft-19 ft 6in)
Weight 1 tonne
Classification:
Family Ceratosauridae
Infraorder Ceratosauria
Suborder Theropoda
Order Saurischia
Time (million years ago): 150
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