Allosaurus

Name: Allosaurus ‭(‬Different lizard‭)‬. Phonetic: Al-loh-sore-us. Named By: Othniel Charles Marsh‭ ‬-‭ ‬1877. Synonyms: Antrodemus,‭ ‬Creosaurus,‭ ‬Labrosaurus. Classification: Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Dinosauria,‭ ‬Saurischia,‭ ‬Theropoda,‭ ‬Allosauridae. Species: A.‭ ‬fragilis‭ (‬type‭)‬. Type: Carnivore.‭ Size: 8.5‭ ‬meter average body length,‭ ‬with some individuals approaching‭ ‬9.7‭ ‬meters long.‭ ‬Some fragmentory specimens have been interpreted as coming from animals‭ ‬12‭ ‬meters long. Known locations: USA,‭ ‬Portugal,‭ ‬possibly Tanzania. Time period: Kimmeridgian to Tithonian of the Jurassic. Fossil representation: There are probably more Allosaurus fossils than any other of the large theropods.‭ ‬Its reconstruction is without doubt.

Along with  Tyrannosaurus ,‭ ‬Allosaurus is probably the most often represented large theropod dinosaur in popular culture.‭ ‬This is because it was one of the earliest discovered large predators and is known from more remains than any other large predatory dinosaur.‭ ‬One myth about Allosaurus that does need to be dispelled is that it was the ancestor of Tyrannosaurus.‭ ‬Although both share a similar morphology and Allosaurus is much older,‭ ‬the tyrannosaurids are thought to have evolved from the coelurosaurid group independent of Allosaurus.‭ ‬This means that as the tyrannosaurids evolved,‭ ‬they replaced dinosaurs like Allosaurus as the dominant theropods of North America.