Summary

The web content provides an overview of the Abelisauridae family, a group of theropod dinosaurs known for their elaborate cranial decorations and diminutive forelimbs, which dominated the Southern Hemisphere during the Cretaceous period.

Abstract

The Mesozoic Quick Fact Series (MQFS) on the undefined website presents a concise yet informative exploration of the Abelisauridae, a family of predatory dinosaurs that lived from the Middle Jurassic until the end of the Cretaceous period. These dinosaurs are noted for their distinctive bony head ornamentation and significantly reduced arms, with the largest member, Pycnonemosaurus nevesi, reaching up to 9.3 meters in length. The article highlights the geographical distribution of Abelisaurid fossils, primarily found in South America, Africa, India, and Madagascar, with a single confirmed European genus. It also touches on the family's size range, popular culture appearances, and the recent naming of a Brazilian species after the Marvel supervillain Thanos. The text concludes with references to scientific literature for further reading.

Opinions

The author suggests that Abelisauridae were the dominant predators in the Southern Hemisphere during the late Cretaceous, contrasting with Tyrannosaurids in the Northern Hemisphere.
The article implies a sense of wonder and fascination with the Abelisauridae, emphasizing their "spectacular cranial ornamentation" and the cultural impact of genera like Carnotaurus.
The author points out the inaccurate depiction of Carnotaurus in popular media, particularly in Walt Disney's film "Dinosaur," while commending the more accurate representation in "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom."
The text conveys a view that the Abelisauridae family is a subject of ongoing research and discovery, with new species still being identified and named, such as the unnamed Turkana specimen from Kenya, which may surpass known size limits.
The author seems to appreciate the evolutionary significance of Abelisauridae, noting their vestigial front limbs and the implications for the evolution of the manus in this group.

MESOZOIC QUICK FACT SERIES:

Abelisauridae: The Rulers of the Cretaceous South

Meet the Abelisauridae, the theropods with spectacular cranial ornamentation, and strongly reduced forelimbs…

A mounted cast of Carnotaurus, one of the biggest abelisaurids, at the LA County Museum photographed by Jens Lallensack (Wikimedia Commons).

Mesozoic Quick Fact Series (MQFS) aims to provide interesting facts about various groups of extinct animals in a fun and readable way. We will focus on the highlights, so you don’t need to read extensive, time-consuming texts!

In this article, we will take a quick overview of the Abelisauridae, a group of carnivorous dinosaurs that ruled the Southern Hemisphere during the final stages of the Mesozoic Era.

Let’s jump right through!

Starting with the basics…

Abelisauridae literally means “Abel’s Lizards”, in honor of Roberto Abel who discovered the first genus of the family, Abelisaurus comahuensis.

They were of ceratosaurian origin, meaning that they shared a more recent common ancestry with the famous Jurassic predator Ceratosaurus than with birds. Abelisaurids are characterized by the extensive ornamentation of their skull bones, which could bore horns, grooves, and pits.

Restoration of the abelisaurid Aucasaurus garridoi / Paleocolour / Wikimedia Commons

When did they live?

Their origins date back to the Middle Jurassic Period, roughly 163 million years ago. The group went extinct 66 million years ago, along with the rest of non-avian dinosaurs during the Cretaceous-Paleogene Mass Extinction.

…and where?

Abelisaurid remains are most commonly found in South America, Africa, India, and Madagascar. Arcovenator escotae from France is the only definite member of the family discovered in Europe. Isolated teeth dating from Late Jurassic Portugal may also belong to an abelisaurid.

How large were they?

Most abelisaurids were medium-sized predators, measuring between 5 and 9 meters (17 to 30 ft) in length.

Pycnonemosaurus nevesi from Brasil currently holds the title of the largest officially described member of the family. It was between 8.9–9.3 meters (29.2 -30.5 feet)long and weighed an estimated 3.6 tonnes.

There’s also an abelisaurid specimen from Kenya which is thought to be even larger, reaching a possible length of 11–12 m (36 to 39 ft). This species has yet to be named.

A selection of Abelisaurids: (from left to right) the yet unnamed Turkana specimen found in Kenya, Pycnonemosaurus nevesi, Carnotaurus sastrei, Abelisaurus comahuensis, Aucasaurus garridoi, Arcovenator escotae (chart by author, 2020).

Any cool names?

Carnotaurus bore two thick horns above the eyes and its name translates to “meat-eating bull”. Now that’s a cool name!

In addition, an abelisaurid found recently in Brasil has been named after the Marvel supervillain Thanos. Inspired by the Avengers franchise paleontologists Rafael Delcourt and Fabiano Vidoi Iori named their new discovery Thanos simonattoi.

In popular culture:

Carnotaurus is the abelisaurid featured most prominently in popular culture.

In Michael Crichton’s novel The Lost World (1995) the animal is given chameleon-like camouflaging abilities. The author used this fictional trait to set up some really suspenseful scenes.

Carnotaurus was also the main antagonist in Walt Disney’s film Dinosaur which was released in 2000. Unfortunately, its depiction was fairly inaccurate as the creature looked more like a tyrannosaur than anything else.

A more accurate representation of Carnotaurus took place in 2018 when the animal was introduced in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Carnotaurus was briefly featured in a couple of scenes.

Did you know…?

. Most advanced abelisaurids had vestigial front limbs that bore no wrist bones. Out of the four digits, only the second and the third had finger bones which were extremely short and immobile. The arms of T.rex would look large by comparison!

. Before the family was widely established, scientists sometimes interpreted fragmentary abelisaurid remains as possible South American tyrannosaurs. Those two families of theropod dinosaurs were the dominant predators of their ecosystems during the final chapters of the Cretaceous Period. Yet, they didn’t overlap, since abelisaurids were flourishing in the southern continents, while the tyrannosaurs are so far found exclusively in the Northern Hemisphere.

References

Paul G.S.,(2010), Dinosaurs A Field Guide, A&C Black Publishers Ltd

Brusatte S., (2018), “The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World”, William Morrow.

Tykoski, R.S. & Rowe, T. (2004). “Ceratosauria”. In: Weishampel, D.B., Dodson, P., & Osmolska, H. (Eds.) The Dinosauria (2nd edition). Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 47–70 ISBN 0–520–24209–2

Agnolin, Federico L.; Chiarelli, Pablo (2009). “The position of the claws in Noasauridae (Dinosauria: Abelisauroidea) and its implications for abelisauroid manus evolution”. Paläontologische Zeitschrift. 84 (2): 293. doi:10.1007/s12542–009–0044–2.

Tortosa, Thierry; Buffetaut, Eric; Vialle, Nicolas; Dutour, Yves; Turini, Eric; Cheylan, Gilles (2014). “A new abelisaurid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of southern France: Palaeobiogeographical implications”. Annales de Paléontologie. 100: 63–86.

Sereno, P.C. (2005). Abelisauridae Archived 2007–10–23 at the Wayback Machine. TaxonSearch. 7 November 2005. Retrieved 19 September 2006.

October/November 2013, Abstracts Of Papers, 73rd Annual Meeting” (PDF). Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013–10–29. Retrieved 2013–10–27.