Page 31 - Reptiles & Dinosaurs (Britannica Illustrated Science Library)

26 DINOSAURS REPTILES AND DINOSAURS 27

The Great Predator of the South A New King GIGANOTOSAURUS
Giganotosaurus carolinii
For a time, Tyrannosaurus rex was considered
the largest land predator, although it is now Size 49 feet (15 m) long
he largest carnivorous dinosaur that has ever existed on Earth lived 95 million years believed by some to have been a scavenger. Diet Carnivorous
ago during the Late Cretaceous Period. Fossils of Giganotosaurus carolinii were first In 1997, a larger and more fearsome predator Habitat Forests and Wetlands
was made known to the scientific community.
T found by Rubén Carolini, a mechanic and amateur Giganotosaurus is considered by some to be Epoch Late Cretaceous
paleontologist, in 1993. The name means “giant the king of the dinosaurs. Range South America
southern lizard.” Although only 70 percent of its
skeleton was found, it is known that it could reach a
length of up to 49 feet (15 m) and that it hunted
large sauropods. WHERE IT LIVED
The fossils of this giant
predator were found in
the province of Neuquén
in the region of
Patagonia in Argentina.
Giganotosaurus carolinii
belonged to the order Saurischia, the
suborder Theropoda, and the superfamily
Allosauridae. It could measure up to 16.5 feet (5 m)
in height and weigh 8.8 tons (8 metric tons). The
fossilized bones that have been found for this
dinosaur include the skull, pelvis, femur, spinal
column, and upper limbs. It was thought to hunt in
packs, because several fossils have been found
together. This made it a deadly threat to the large,
herbivorous sauropods of the time.

Powerful
Jaws

All predators in the superfamily Allosauridae had
powerful jaws and rounded teeth with serrated edges
to tear the flesh of their victims. Each tooth could be
up to 8 inches (20 cm) long. Tail
Filled with solid
vertebrae, it was
used to maintain
balance and could
probably swing from
side to side.
Large
Head
Its head was very
large in relation to its
body, measuring up to Claws
5.9 feet (1.8 m) long. Both the hind legs
and the front legs
had three toes.
The front limbs
had sharp claws.

Swift Hunter
Giganotosaurus's well-
Movable Skull Lateral Expansion
1 Its skull slid over its lower 2 The joints of its skull bones developed hind legs enabled
jaw so that its knifelike moved outward to better it to run at high speed while
teeth could cut. grip its victim. hunting its prey.