DINOSAURS: Family Allosauridae

Allosaurus fragilis

The first of its kind, Allosaurus was no matter a killer, to support this statements are a number of clues. Although Allosaurus possessed little and weak slender arms and hands with only three functional fingers, it had exclusive claws, completely built for grasping escaping animals. Secondly what a killer needs is a pair of strong jaws and teeth, which in Allosaurus was clearly seen. Thirdly, the most wanted thing is a pair of strong muscular legs, and in Allosaurus the legs were large and strong. Having all these qualities and an extra large size of 8 metres (26.6 feet) and a weight of say around 2 tons, it would be easy for a creature to be a great killer. Using all these clues and hints palaeontologists put up that Allosaurus is one of the first super carnivores.

When Allosaurus was discovered in 1877 in North America, some where around Montana, it was named 'another lizard'. Allosaurus being the first large carnosaur lived in the Jurassic period, dating some 190 million years ago. Fossil tracks found in the sedimentary rocks of Texas shows footpath of an escaping Apatosaurus (formerly known as Brontosaurus) being chased by a hungry three toed carnivore. Yes, of course Allosaurus was chasing the poor herbivore. But did Allosaurus finally kill its victim?

Order: Saurischia
Suborder: Theropoda
Infra order: Carnosauria
Super family: Allosauroidea
Family: Allosauridae

Antrodemus valens

Invalid name for Allosaurus fragilis Period: Late Jurassic (156-135 million years ago)
Location: Wertern USA
Discovered: Leidy, 1870
Order: Saurischia
Suborder: Theropoda
Infra order: Carnosauria
Super family: Allosauroidea
Family: Allosauridae

Cryolophosaurus ellioti

A new species of crested theropod dinosaur, Cryolophosaurus ellioti, was discovered as fossils collected from Mt. Kirkpatrick in Antarctica. The bones of the carnivorous biped, a relative of Tyrannosaurus-Rex, were part of the first dinosaur fossils ever found on the Antarctic mainland. Their presence suggests that during the Early Jurassic (about 200 million years ago) a mild climate existed in the region, which at the time a latitude at least 60 S and perhaps as high as 70 S.

Order: Saurischia
Suborder: Theropoda
Infra order: Carnosauria
Super family: Allosauroidea
Family: Sinraptoridae

Labrosaurus

See: Allosaurus fragilis