From the deadly hunting abilities of an Oxalaia to the gigantic teeth of the Spinosaurus,
here are the largest carnivorous dinosaurs on Earth!!!!
10.
Oxalaia
Paleontologists haven’t really found many of its remains but the snout and jaw fragments
were enough to know that Oxalaia was a giant member of predatory dinosaurs known as spinosaurs.
This creature was a carnivorous theropod that is believed to have lived during the Cretaceous
period about 95 million years ago!!
Discovered in northeastern Brazil, it had jaws like a crocodile and would have had a
skull about about 1 meter (4.5 feet) long!!
The entire body would have been between 12- 14 meters long (39 feet- 46 feet) and it was
estimated to weigh around 5-7 tons!!
If the larger estimate is correct, this dinosaur would have been the longest theropod dinosaur
in South America, being hyst a little bit bigger than the smallest estimate of the giganotosaurus.
Its recent skeletal studies have revealed some striking similarities compared to a Spinosaurus
and an Irritator, so it has been classified as part of the same family but it is frustrating
that so little hass been found.
Oxalaia would probably be classified as a “generalist” and eat just about any kind
of meat.
But like other spinosaurid species, it most likely preferred aquatic prey.
Like its predecessors, it used to wait by the river banks and strike at its prey since
it was so heavy and probably couldn’t run very fast!!!
9.
Carcharodontosaurus
Like most of these dinosaurs, the pronunciation is tricky but bear with me!!!
This dinosaur was once thought to have the longest skull of all the theropods, the honor
which later got transferred
to the Giganotosaurus.
This dinosaur lived about 100 million years ago and was named because of it’s long,
sharp teeth.
Also known as the “shark-toothed” or “jagged tooth” lizard, it was one of the most feared
and successful predators in what is Northern Africa.
It had the ability to sprint up to 25 mph and weighed approximately about two average
sized Asian Elephants.
The initial fossils that were discovered in the 1930s were eventually demolished in the
WWII bombings.
Paleontologists had to rely on the older anatomical descriptions until 1996 when a new specimen
was found.
Interestingly, the newer reports suggested that Carcharodontosaurus was even bigger than
it was once thought!
It was slightly larger than the T-Rex in North America and its most likely that it would
have come into contact with the largest carnivorous dinosaur of all time, the Spinosaurus.
These would have been some pretty epic battles!
8.
Chilantaisaurus This big guy is believed to have been a fearsome
predator.
It fed mostly on humongous herbivores which it would attack with its powerful jaws and
talons.
It is thought to have existed some 92 million years ago in the Late Cretaceous period.
It’s fossil remains have been found in what is now Mongolia in Asia.
This little-known theropod dinosaur was also featured in a Japanese picture book series
“You are Umasou.”
It spanned around eleven to thirteen meters in length (43 feet) and weighed over 6 tons.
Since its body was too large for chasing its prey, the animal is believed to be an ambush
predator – trapping its prey and then pouncing on it.
It’s classification still isn’t clear and it was still being scrutinized by scientists
up until 2012.
And know for the Tyrant Titan, but first, if you are new here be sure to subscribe and
click the notification bell for more videos like these!!
7.
Tyrannotitan
The name of this dinosaur means “Tyrant Titan” and it was discovered in Argentina.
It is classified as part of the genus that includes the likes of other giant theropods
such as the Mapu-saurus.
It was believed to have lived during the primary Cretaceous period on the South American terrains.
The fossils were first discovered in Chubut Province, Argentina in 2005.
However, only a rough skeletal structure could be put together since these remains were almost
irrecoverable.
Recent studies have revealed that this giant theropod could genetically be related to other
forms from the late Cretaceous period or perhaps evolved to develop an anatomy similar to a
Tyrannosaurs.
Although its exact anatomy still remains questionable to the paleontologists, this big lizard is
estimated to have been over 40 feet long.
The head structure would have been narrow and it probably had about 60 sharp teeth.
The tooth structure is dense and broader compared to other members of its genus.
It possessed relatively shorter arms and a powerful tail which probably helped it to
swim.
Its main prey could have been Sauropods or primitive herbivores.
With the current information available, it is estimated that it could run about 20 mph.
6.
Acrocanthosaurus You might be more familiar with this dinosaur
than you think, especially if you live in North America.
Dinosaur Valley State Park in Glen Rose, Texas has tons of fossilized tracks.
Most of the footprints probably belonged to the Acrocanthosaurus.
The Acrocanthosaurus was one of the largest carnivores, almost as deadly and fierce as
a T-Rex or a Spinosaurus.
It was discovered in North America in Oklahoma in the 1940’s.
The animal was estimated to be over 35 feet long and weigh around five to six tons.
It had unique spinal anatomy which gave it the name “High-Spined Lizard”.
The entire spinal region was spiked with neural spines that were each about a foot long, which
is believed to be meant for supporting the hump over its back.
Paleontologists also suggest that the overgrown hump might have been a mating characteristic
to attract females, or perhaps a signaling accessory to warn the pack against approaching
predators.
The neuroimaging studies of an Acrocanthosaurus has revealed that it possessed an S-shaped
brain with a strong sense of smell.
This might have been a competitive advantage for detecting and hunting its prey.
Fun fact, the Acrocanthosaurus still remains one of the few prehistoric creatures whose
brain has been studied in detail by using tomographic techniques.
It’s short little forelimbs had very limited motion but could pull things towards itself
easily.
It is believed that they came up to victims from behind and sank its claws into it while
biting down.
5.
Saurophaganax
Also known as the “lizard-eating master”, this dino lived and hunted in North America
during the late Jurassic period some 150 million years ago.
A few animal remains were discovered during the early 1930s in Oklahoma and New Mexico.
The animal lived in the woodlands but their remains are pretty rare.
It was estimated to be about 13 meters long and paleontologists explain that their appetite
must have been enormous.
It is believed to have been very territorial and aggressive which is maybe why it remained
restricted to smaller populations or colonies.
Saurophaganax bones are similar to those of the smaller Allosaurus, but clearly this one
was much bigger in size.
It is even suggested that the Saurophaganax might have evolved from the Allosaurus.
The Saurophaganax walked on two legs and may have stolen kills from less talented or smaller
carnivorous dinosaurs but could still probably kill on its own.
It’s become quite a popular dinosaur recently, even appearing on multiple dinosaur T.V series
such as Planet Dinosaur and Dinosaur King.
4.
Mapusaurus
The Mapusaurus is one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs to be discovered.
It is ranked at number four, still a little bit away from the spinosaurus – which still
wears the crown.
It had knife-like teeth for slicing off chunks of flesh and may have even worked in groups
to take down even larger prey like the Argentinosaurus.
It was about 10 meters long and weighed about 3 tons!!
So here is something that is quite interesting: during an Argentinean-Canadian excavation,
paleontologists discovered the remains of up to 7 Mapusaurus all together in the same
bed of rock.
Normally predators of this size would live alone, but this clue suggests that they all
lived and hunted together.
It is estimated to have reached a top speed of 30 mph.
If the speed estimates are true, a Mapusaurus would have been much faster compared to a
Tyrannosaurus Rex and apparently quick enough to ambush a larger herbivore.
3.
Tyrannosaurus Rex Perhaps the most famous dinosaur on earth
and featured in all of the Jurassic Park movies, this mighty beast lived in western North America
some 68 million years ago.
It had short little arms and could sprint at a top speed of 25 mph.
It was about 12 meters (40 feet) long and about 5 meters (20 feet) tall, give or take
and weighed up to 20,000 pounds!!
Contrary to a typical V-shaped jawline as in other theropods, a T-Rex had a U-shaped
structure which provided the animal with an increased bite force.
It had serrated, conical teeth which were perfect for gripping and ripping out flesh
in just one bite.
Because of its hunting abilities and ruthless instinct, it is often referred to as the “Tyrant
Lizard.”
Over 50 specimens of Tyrannosaurus Rex have been identified which has helped scientists
to learn a lot more about their biology and habits than other dinosaurs.
2.
Giganotosaurus
Ok so for the pronunciation: Some people say its “giga-not-a-saurus”-
like gigabyte, or a play on words of giant so “jiganto-saurus” or jiga-no-toe saurus
like it had no toe.
Sooooo….I did some research and the paleontologists who classified and had the honor of naming
this dinosaur, Rodolfo Coria and Leonardo Salgado are on tape pronouncing it as giganotosaurus
so I am going with their pronunciation.
This dinosaur was an absolute beast, no matter how fearsome the T-Rex might have been!
The Giganotosaurus was big, strong, and fast.
They lived about 98 million years ago during the late Cretaceous Period.
However, there’s one thing you should remember!
A Giganotosaurus should not be mistaken for a Gigantosaurus, which is a lesser known herbivore
that lived in England.
It had a huge skull structure and a powerful jaw equipped with jagged teeth.
Its narrow snout had excellent smelling abilities which gave it a huge advantage over a lot
of its prey.
It also had long spines on its back and short arms with three-fingered claws.
Its strong back limbs with heavy bone structure indicate it probably was a good sprinter,
with an estimated cruising speed of 31mph.
Researchers suggest its thin pointy tail would have given the animal some agility on sharp
turns.
The weight estimates are very difficult to make and are often based on tomographic approximations.
The animal was first featured in a Nature Journal in 1995 and fossils analyzed were
reported to weigh between six to eight tons with the head-to-tail length extending over
a whopping 40 feet.
However, a more recent estimate in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology has claimed that
a Giganotosaurus weighed nearly 15 tons.
1.
Spinosaurus
All hail the mighty Spinosaurus!
This was the largest carnivorous theropod to ever live on the planet.
The animal haunted the swamps of the North African continent during the mid-Cretaceous
period about a 112 to 97 million years ago.
Two species of Spinosaurus have been reported and named after places they were discovered
– 1) Spinosaurus aegyptiacus – the Egyptian spine lizard and 2) Spinosaurus maroccanus
– The Moroccan Spine lizard.
The name “spine lizard” serves as an appropriate description, because it had very long spines
over its back that were estimated to be up to 7 feet long!!
Each spine was joined to the other by a cartilage-like structure called a sail, because it looks
like one.
It is also suggested that a Spinosaurus was perhaps the first evolved carnivorous dinosaur
to be able to swim.
In fact, recent studies have suggested that a Spinosaurus had a compact bone structure,
flat claws, conical teeth and a narrow snout which was ideal for preying on aquatic animals.
But land prey was fine too!!
The weight estimates have shown that the animal weighed over 23 tons, and was up to 50 feet
(15 meters) long.
No wonder it dominated the earth!
Thanks for watching!!
Which dinosaur is your favorite??
Let us know in the comments below!!