Allosaurus

The super predator of the Jurassic period

The largest predator of the late Jurassic period, almost 200 million years ago, was the gigantic Allosaurus. It was a bipedal, carnivorous dinosaur from the theropod group, armed with powerful jaws, long teeth, and sharp claws.

When Allosaurus hunted alone, it attacked small to medium-sized dinosaurs. However, a group of Allosaurus could also take down huge dinosaurs such as the herbivorous Diplodocus, which was over 25 metres in length.

Unlike some later theropods, such as Tyrannosaurus rex, Allosaurus' jaws were not strong enough to crush bones. Therefore, it could only consume the soft parts of its prey, leaving large amounts of meat at the end of a meal on the carcass for pterosaurs (flying reptiles), smaller dinosaurs, and other carrion-eating animals.

Perhaps the most famous Allosaurus fossil is called Big Al. It is a completely preserved allosaurus skeleton that was found in the Morrison Formation in Wyoming and is now on display at the Museum of the Rockies at Montana State University. Big Al has a lot of injuries, especially in the leg area. Scientists conclude that allosaurs were extremely aggressive and did not even shy away from confrontation with conspecifics.