Crossword clues for allosaurus
allosaurus
Wiktionary
n. A large, carnivorous dinosaur, of genus ''Allosaurus'', that lived in the Jurassic period.
WordNet
n. late Jurassic carnivorous dinosaur; similar to but somewhat smaller than tyrannosaurus [syn: allosaur]
Wikipedia
Allosaurus is a genus of large theropod dinosaur that lived 155 to 150 million years ago during the late Jurassic period ( Kimmeridgian to early Tithonian). The name "Allosaurus" means "different lizard". It is derived from the Greek /allos ("different, other") and /sauros ("lizard / generic reptile"). The first fossil remains that can definitely be ascribed to this genus were described in 1877 by paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh, and it became known as Antrodemus. As one of the first well-known theropod dinosaurs, it has long attracted attention outside of paleontological circles. Indeed, it has been a top feature in several films and documentaries about prehistoric life.
Allosaurus was a large bipedal predator. Its skull was large and equipped with dozens of sharp, serrated teeth. It averaged in length, though fragmentary remains suggest it could have reached over . Relative to the large and powerful hindlimbs, its three-fingered forelimbs were small, and the body was balanced by a long and heavily muscled tail. It is classified as an allosaurid, a type of carnosaurian theropod dinosaur. The genus has a complicated taxonomy, and includes an uncertain number of valid species, the best known of which is A. fragilis. The bulk of Allosaurus remains have come from North America's Morrison Formation, with material also known from Portugal and possibly Tanzania. It was known for over half of the 20th century as Antrodemus, but study of the copious remains from the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry brought the name "Allosaurus" back to prominence, and established it as one of the best-known dinosaurs.
As the most abundant large predator in the Morrison Formation, Allosaurus was at the top of the food chain, probably preying on contemporaneous large herbivorous dinosaurs and perhaps even other predators. Potential prey included ornithopods, stegosaurids, and sauropods. Some paleontologists interpret Allosaurus as having had cooperative social behavior, and hunting in packs, while others believe individuals may have been aggressive toward each other, and that congregations of this genus are the result of lone individuals feeding on the same carcasses. It may have attacked large prey by ambush, using its upper jaw like a hatchet.
Usage examples of "allosaurus".
A moment later a towering creature, an allosaurus, broke through the ferns and stared down at them with small red eyes.
The allosaurus had almost overtaken him before Tipchak tumbled head over heels down a low bank and into the tar pit.
And as with pre-Fall humans suffering serious injury or premature death, as Daeman once experienced upon being eaten by an allosaurus, Firmary birth was something so traumatic that it had to be blocked from memory.
Daeman go to a fax pavilion when the allosaurus ate him ten months ago?
The allosaurus was carefully stalking Skuld, squaring off against the giant to keep him away from the mortal troops.
The allosaurus made a small, excited sound, looking the winged woman over with wild eyes.
The allosaurus bellowed, either in agreement or in protest at being called a little boy.
Jane and the allosaurus ran around the ruined garden and tore down another arcade.
The 30-foot carnivore named Afrovenator abattensis was related to the fierce predator Allosaurus that had lived 30 million years before in the Jurassic of North America.
Oviraptor, a therapod relative of the Cretaceous Tyrannosaurus rex and the Jurassic predator Allosaurus, but about the size of a small ostrich.
A rat scurried in front of her, scrambling for safety within a gaping allosaurus eye socket.
The huge allosaurus, thirty feet long from snout to tail, pounded out of the darkness at twenty miles per hour, ducking under branches as it lunged.
The allosaurus took the cane and arm both, ripping the arm free at the shoulder.
The sudden change, plus the welcome sight of the oh-so-familiar servitors, plus his terror in being back in the firmary so soon after the allosaurus episode, made his legs too weak for him to stand even in the swimming-pool g-field.
But this allosaurus dated from before the time of true magic and it gave a full-hard chomp, the kind that crunches bones.