Allosaurus: Complete Profile & 8 Characteristics Of The Dinosaur

The Allosaurus was one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs of the Jurassic period. You can recognize it by its narrow skull with two bumps above the eyes and its short arms. We have everything you need to know, characteristics, and a profile of this prehistoric lizard.

The Allosaurus was a large, two-legged carnivore that lived around 157 to 145 million years ago. It grew up to 13 meters long and is one of the more famous dinosaurs thanks to several appearances in films and on television.

Interesting facts about Allosaurus

Below, we reveal where Allosaurus was found and the meaning of its name. You will also learn about the different types of dinosaurs and which dinosaurs this carnivore was related to.

We then provide you with all the important characteristics of Allosaurus and a summary of the most important facts in a profile.

After that, you will learn how the prehistoric lizard is portrayed in popular culture and whether it was stronger than a T-Rex. Finally, we have some information about the extinction of the dinosaur for you.

Discovery and locations where it was found

So far, Allosaurus fossils have mainly been found in North America and Southern Europe. Some remains from Tanzania and Australia could also belong to this dinosaur, but they have not yet been clearly identified.

Othniel Charles Marsh first found Allosaurus fossils in 1877. So far, three quarters of all finds have been made in the Morrison Formation. The site is known for the discovery of numerous dinosaur species.

The rock formation extends across the western part of the US and Canada, including Wyoming, Colorado, Texas, Utah, and Oklahoma.

Meaning of the name

Paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh first named the dinosaur Allosaurus in 1877. The dinosaur researcher also gave names to several Stegosaurus species, the Brontosaurus and the Triceratops.

Allosaurus is composed of the Greek terms “állos” (another) and ‘sauros’ (lizard) and means “different lizard.” Charles Marsh chose this name because the vertebrae of the Allosaurus differed anatomically from the dinosaur species known at the time.

Relatives of the Allosaurus

Dinosaurs can be roughly divided into lizard-hipped dinosaurs (Saurischia) and bird-hipped dinosaurs (Ornithischia). The former are divided into theropods (Theropoda) – usually two-legged carnivores – and Sauropodomorpha, which were mostly long-necked herbivores.

Ornithischian dinosaurs were two- and four-legged herbivores and omnivores, including the Ankylosaurus, Stegosaurus, and Iguanodon. The Allosaurus, on the other hand, had a lizard pelvis and belonged to the theropod group. This made it distantly related to the Spinosaurus, Velociraptor and Tyrannosaurus rex.

If the family relationships are determined more precisely, this unusual lizard belongs to the Carnosauria (”flesh-eating lizards"). Based on its relationship to the Allosaurus, it is even possible to determine which dinosaurs can be assigned to this group and which were more closely related to birds.

Characteristics of the Allosaurus

In this chapter, we have compiled the most important characteristics of the Allosaurus for you. These include the classification of the species, the size of the prehistoric lizard, and its way of life. You will also learn when the dinosaur lived, what it ate, and how it moved.

Classification of the genus and species

So far, researchers have been able to identify four species of the genus Allosaurus: Allosaurus fragilis (Marsh, 1877), A. europaeus (Mateus, 2006), A. lucasi (Dalman 2014) and A. jimmadseni (Chure & Loewen, 2020).

In two cases, it has not yet been clearly determined whether the finds are actually Allosaurus or another genus: A. maximus (Chure, 1995) and A. tendagurensis (Janesch, 1925).

The genus Allosaurus belongs to the family Allosauridae. This family can in turn be assigned to the subgroup Carnosauria and the taxon Theropoda. These bipedal carnivores belonged to the lizard-hipped dinosaurs and were land vertebrates.

Time period: When the Allosaurus lived

Like all dinosaurs, this prehistoric giant lived in the Middle Earth, the so-called Mesozoic era. This is divided into the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. The Allosaurus lived towards the end of the Jurassic period (Late Jurassic) between 157.3 and 145 million years ago.

Its genus therefore lived on Earth for a total of around 12.3 million years. The exact periods are called the Kimmeridgian and Tithonian. By way of comparison, humans have only been around for around 2.6 million years, since the beginning of the Stone Age.

Habitat

The Allosaurus shared its habitat with the Diplodocus, Stegosaurus, Brachiosaurus, and several theropods, among others. Their fossils were found together in the Morrison Formation in North America. The remains of shells, snails, bony fish, frogs, turtles, and lizards were also found.

During the Jurassic period, the environment there was rather dry and sparsely vegetated, but there were large rivers, ginkgo trees, ferns, fungi, and mosses. The climate was warm, unlike today’s Ice Age.

The polar ice caps were not yet frozen and there were no four seasons as we know them today. Instead, the weather was consistently warm, but varied between dry and humid air.

Size: How big was the Allosaurus?

The Allosaurus fragilis was the largest species of Allosaurus and, at 11 to 13 meters long, 3 to 5 meters high, and weighing approximately 1.5 tons, was one of the largest predators of prehistoric times. Although it was lighter, its size is comparable to some specimens of Tyrannosaurus rex.

The fossils of a dinosaur from the Allosauridae (Allosauridae) family, which have not yet been clearly identified, are estimated to be even larger, with a length of over 13 meters and a higher weight. However, it is still unclear whether this is the species Allosaurus maximus or Saurophaganax maximus.

Body structure and locomotion

The prehistoric lizard, named after its distinctive vertebrae, walked on its hind legs. Like all theropods, it was a digitigrade, meaning it walked on the front part of its feet, which had three large toes. A smaller toe pointing backward was not used for walking.

The arms of the Allosaurus looked rather small and narrow compared to its strong legs. However, they were still powerful and had three sharp claws. The theropod also had a long tail that helped it balance its body.

Way of life and diet

When it comes to the way of life of the Allosaurus, researchers' opinions differ. Some assume that it was a predator and hunted its prey. Some also believe that it hunted in groups and was even able to kill huge sauropods in this way.

Its powerful jaws, relatively low weight, and strong legs, which were very well suited for running, suggest that it was a successful hunter. Other scientists tend to favor the scavenger theory.

They assume that Allosaurus' narrow skull and limited vision were not particularly well suited for killing prey. According to this theory, its lifestyle would have been similar to that of a vulture.

Social behavior and reproduction

Some researchers believe that Allosaurus may have hunted in groups. This assumption is based on fossilized theropod footprints found side by side that may have belonged to Allosaurus.

However, there is no clear evidence for this, and conclusions about specific social behavior cannot be drawn. In addition, most theropods are believed to have been rather aggressive toward members of their own species.

A special feature of the Allosaurus is that it was able to reproduce at a young age. Researchers came to this conclusion by examining bone tissue.

From the age of 10, it already had calcium reserves, which are needed for egg production. Today, such deposits are known to exist in the bones of birds. In this respect, it differed from other dinosaurs.

Life expectancy

The Allosaurus fossils found so far are estimated to be between 13 and 19 years old. The animal’s arm and leg bones were examined for this purpose.

Taking into account the current state of development, a maximum life expectancy of 22 to 28 years has been determined. This is similar to the maximum age of a Tyrannosaurus rex, which was around 30 years.

The dinosaur grew fastest at around 15 years of age. Paleontologists estimate an annual weight gain of 148 kilograms.

Profile: The Allosaurus

In this chapter, we have compiled the most important facts about the Allosaurus for you. You will learn about the classification of its species, where and when it lived, and how big it grew.

We will then compare its facts with those of a T-Rex and reveal which of these dangerous lizards was stronger.

• Name of the genus: Allosaurus (“different lizard”)
• Known species: A. fragilis, A. europaeus, A. lucasi, A. jimmadseni
• Family: Allosauridae
• Subgroup: Carnosauria
• Group: Theropods (Theropoda)
• Order: Saurischia (Saurischia)
• Animal group: Dinosaurs (land vertebrates)
• Time: Jurassic period (Late Jurassic, 157.3–145 million years ago)
• Habitat: North America, Europe (Portugal, France, Germany)
• Diet: Carnivore
• Physical characteristics: Narrow head, two bumps above the eyes, long tail, strong hind legs, short arms held in the air with three claws
• Length: 11–12 meters
• Height: 3–5 meters
• Weight: 1.5 tons

Allosaurus versus T-Rex

In this chapter, you will find a comparison between the Tyrannosaurus Rex and Allosaurus. We have chosen Allosaurus fragilis as the species because it was the largest and heaviest of the genus.

By comparing the data, you can better estimate the size ratios of the dinosaurs. Afterwards, we will reveal which of the two giants was stronger and which would probably have won a fight.

Who was stronger?

In terms of physical characteristics, the T-Rex is more impressive than the Allosaurus. It was larger and heavier when fully grown and had significantly stronger bite force. Both dinosaurs were similar in height and lived to a similar age.

However, the Allosaurus was more agile and faster. It could have surprised the clumsy T-Rex or dodged its attacks. However, a strong, well-aimed bite from the T-Rex would probably have been fatal for the Allosaurus.

Even though it couldn’t match the bite force of a Tyrannosaurus, the Allosaurus could have hurt it. If it had encountered the T-Rex in a group, it is quite possible that its species would have won the fight.

In a one-on-one fight, the outcome would depend on how well the Allosaurus could dodge and damage the Tyrannosaurus. The fight would be decided at the latest when one of the animals ran out of stamina. Although the T-Rex was stronger, the athletic Allosaurus would probably have had the advantage here.

However, since T-Rex lived towards the end of the Cretaceous period and Allosaurus lived much earlier during the Jurassic period, the two theropods never encountered each other.

The Allosaurus in popular culture

The Allosaurus can be found, for example, in feature films, documentaries, video games, as a toy figure from Schleich and Co., or as a coloring picture.

Like many other dinosaurs, it is present in popular culture. However, the boundaries between fantasy and scientific facts are sometimes not clearly discernible. We have three examples of different representations of the giant lizard.

Representation in ”Jurassic World"

“Jurassic World” encompasses both a film series and a video game called “Jurassic World Evolution” based on the films. In the film, the Allosaurus was created as a life-size hologram and can be seen in a scene from “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.”

However, it is not mentioned by name and it is not known whether it was featured as an attraction in the dinosaur park. An Allosaurus appearance has now been announced for the third part of the film in a short film. There, it fights a Nasutoceratops, a dinosaur from the Ceratopsia family.

In the video game “Jurassic World Evolution,” its physical characteristics are close to scientific facts. Players can choose between six skin colors, all of which are natural tones.

He experiences the Allosaurus as a hunter that tolerates its own kind, but only to a certain extent. This behavior represents an intersection between scientific assumptions. These vary between socially organized hunting in packs and aggressive behavior towards other members of the same species.

The Allosaurus in “ARK: Survival Evolved”

In the adventure video game “ARK” (2017), players move through a world ruled by prehistoric creatures. In addition to dinosaurs from the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods, there are also Titanoboa and the Megalodon, which lived much later.

Players can tame and breed the prehistoric lizards in order to survive – including the Allosaurus. The fictional species “Allosaurus therotribus” lives there in groups of three with an alpha animal.

This representation does not correspond to scientific facts. It is probably intended to increase the excitement and distinguish the dinosaur from other theropods in the game. In terms of appearance, agility, and speed, the game is roughly consistent with the facts.

Depiction in “The Ballad of Big Al”

The BBC documentary “The Ballad of Big Al” from 2000 is about an Allosaurus named “Big Al.” Dinosaur animations were inserted into real landscapes to depict the life of the Allosaurus from birth to death.

On his journey through prehistoric Wyoming, he is constantly searching for food, hunting and fighting for survival. Overall, the documentary is strongly based on scientific findings and attempts to paint a realistic picture of the carnivore.

Whether he was really a predator and hunter is now scientifically disputed. Some researchers believe that its narrow head and limited vision meant that its lifestyle was more similar to that of a vulture. Other films and series in which it appears include:

• The Lost World (adventure film, 1925)
• The Curse of Monte Bravo (science fiction and western, 1956)
• Gwangis Rache (western and fantasy, 1969)
• Planet of the Monsters (science fiction, 1977)
• Dinosaurs – In the Realm of Giants (TV documentary series, 1999)

Extinction of the Allosaurus

The Allosaurus lived on Earth for an impressive 12.3 million years and died out 145 million years ago. This means that its species survived longer than many other dinosaurs. Nevertheless, the dinosaur died out long before the mass extinction.

Reasons for this could be the changes in climate and environment at the end of the Jurassic period. Sea levels fluctuated and living conditions became harsher.

Dinosaurs were unable to adapt quickly to change. Therefore, like many other dinosaur species, the Allosaurus died out naturally over time.

Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

You just finished reading Allosaurus: Complete Profile & 8 Characteristics Of The Dinosaur which was published on The Digital Reader.