Ceratosaurus ("horned lizard") is a greedy dinosaur from the Late Jurassic Morrison Formation of North America. It is characterized by huge jaws with enormous, bladelike teeth, a large, bladelike horn on the snout, and a pair horn lets over the eyes. The forelimbs were strongly built but very short. The type species is Ceratosaurus nasicornis, although numerous other species have been named, including C. dentisulcatus and C. magnicornis.
Ceratosaurus is known from the Cleveland-Lloyd quarry in central Utah and Dry Mesa in Colorado. It lived next to dinosaurs such as Allosaurus, Torvosaurus, Apatosaurus, Diplodocus, and Stegosaurus. Some propose it was a rival to Allosaurus.
Ceratosaurus fossil remains in North American Museum of Ancient Life. It was around 4.5–6 m in size, weighing 500 kg up to 1 tonne. The African C. ingens may have been much better, with size estimates ranging up to 5 tonnes, which if right would make it one of the largest of the Theropoda.
Ceratosaurus was first discovered by Othniel Charles Marsh. Relatives of Ceratosaurus contain Elaphrosaurus and the abelisaur Carnotaurus.
FilmographyA Ceratosaurus battles a Triceratops in the 1966 remake of 1 Million Years B.C. In Jurassic Park III, a Ceratosaurus has a brief look. In the film When Dinosaurs Roamed America, a Ceratosaurus makes a small number of appearances but is later killed by an Allosaurus and eaten.
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