T-rex’s great grandfather, allosaurus set the standard for generations of ferocious, prehistoric predators. Sharp claws on its front arms tore into prey while rows of sharp teeth stripped away chunks of meat. The top predator on land, allosaurus ruled the Jurassic world for about 5 million years.
Hard Head: This dino's large skull had bony ridges over each eye and another ridge from the forehead to the snout. Its gaping jaws were filled with 60 jagged teeth.
Balancing Act: Allosaurus' upper body was so big and heavy that it needed a long tail to act as a counterbalance. Otherwise, it would have constantly fallen on its face.
Clash of the Titans[]
Allosaurus ambushed herbivores like camptosaurus with brute force.
Enormous plant-eating dinosaurs roamed the Earth during the Jurassic period, and there to eat them was allosaurus, which was big enough to tackle the vegetarian giants. Much like lions do today, allosaurus often ambushed its prey while they were bending down to drink from a river or pond. With the animals less guarded, allosaurus came roaring from the bush to make the kill. Allosaurus was the ultimate killer of its time, terrorizing animals the whole world over.
Get a Grip: Unlike its descendant, T.rex, allosaurus could use its arms for seizing prey. Long claws at the end of each arm helped ensure a tight hold on prey.
Tight Family: Since many allosaurus bones have been found together, it is thought that the dinosaurs lived and hunted in groups like a pride of lions. They may have even used strategic techniques to capture their prey.
Timeline[]
Allosaurus lived 150 to 145 million years ago during the Jurassic Period.
Trading Card[]
Trivia[]
- The allosaurus is mentioned on several other cards:
- Alongside the T-Rex mentioned in the opening, the allosaurus is also mentioned as an ancestor of the Acrocanthosaurus on the latter's card, and as a descendant of the Dilophosaurus.
- It is mentioned as a potential predator of the Brachiosaurus on the herbivore's knowledge card.
- The Ceratosaurus card mentions how the latter would scare off allosaurs.
- The Allosaurus is featured for both Odd Creature Out and Fossil Finders on Monster Mania 7.
- It shares this in common with the T-Rex.
- The header "Clash of the Titans" is a reference to the 1981 fantasy movie of the same name.
- The allosaurus’ front art is also used in the book Dinosaurs: The World's Most Terrifying Creatures.