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Acrocanthosaurus Information

"High-Spined Lizard"

Dinosaurs
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Anatomy

An Acrocanthosaurus Acrocanthosaurus (meaning “high-spine lizard” because of the spikes growing out of its spine) was a fierce predator that was roughly 30-40 feet (9-12 m) long and weighed about 5,000 pounds (2300 kg). It had a big head, with a 4.5 foot (1.4 m) long skull and 68 thin, sharp, serrated teeth. It had 17-inch (43 cm) spikes extending from its vertebrae, along the neck and tail, that may have formed a thick, fleshy sail on its back. It had powerful arms, and each hand had three fingers, equipped with long, sickle-like claws.

When Acrocanthosaurus lived

Acrocanthosaurus lived during the early Cretaceous period, roughly 115-105 million years ago, in the tropics near sea level.

Intelligence

Acrocanthosaurus may have been a carnosaur, whose intelligence (as measured by its relative brain to body weight, or EQ) was high among the dinosaurs.

EQ

Diet

Acrocanthosaurus was a carnivore, a meat eater. It was a large, fierce predator that could kill even large sauropods. Acrocanthosaurus may also have been a scavenger.

Locomotion

An AllosaurusAcrocanthosaurus walked on two long, muscular legs.

Discovery and naming of fossils

A map of where the Acrocanthosaurus was found Acrocanthosaurus fossils have been found in what is now the USA, in Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah. Acrocanthosaurus is known from incomplete skeletons and teeth and was named by paleontologists Stovall and Langston in 1950. Acrocanthosaurus atokensis is the type species. Many Acrocanthosaurus tracks have also been found.

Classification

Acrocanthosaurus was a Saurischian (“lizard-hipped”) dinosaur. It was a theropod, and may have been a carnosaur and an allosaurid (huge carnivores with bony head ridges that may have hunted in packs; they included Allosaurus, Saurophaganax, and Neovenator).

Other Dinosaur Information Sheets

Just click on an animal’s name to go to that information sheet. If the dinosaur you’re interested in isn’t here, check the Dinosaur Dictionary or the list of Dinosaur Genera.

How to write a great dinosaur report.

Names with an asterisk (*) were not dinosaurs.

Acanthopholis Homalocephale Pteranodon*
Acrocanthosaurus Hypacrosaurus Pterodactyloids*
Albertosaurus Hylaeosaurus Pterodactylus*
Allosaurus Hypsilophodon Pterosaurs*
Amargasaurus Ichthyosaurs* Quaesitosaurus
Ammonite* Iguanodon Quetzalcoatlus*
Anatotitan Janenschia Rhamphorhynchus*
Ankylosaurus Kentrosaurus Riojasaurus
Apatosaurus Kronosaurus* Saltopus
Archaeopteryx* Lambeosaurus Saurolophus
Archelon* Lesothosaurus Sauropelta
Avimimus Maiasaura Scelidosaurus
Baryonyx Majungatholus Scipionyx
Brachiosaurus Mamenchisaurus Seismosaurus
Brontosaurus Massospondylus Sinornithosaurus
Camarasaurus Megalosaurus Sinosauropteryx
Camptosaurus Megaraptor Spinosaurus
Carcharodontosaurus Microvenator Stegoceras
Caudipteryx Minmi Stegosaurus
Ceratosaurus Monoclonius Styracosaurus
Chasmosaurus Montanoceratops Suchomimus
Coelophysis Mosasaurs* Supersaurus
Compsognathus Mussaurus Syntarsus
Corythosaurus Nothosaurs* Thecodontosaurus
Deinonychus Notoceratops Torvosaurus
Dilophosaurus Ornitholestes Triceratops
Diplodocus Ornithomimus Trilobite*
Dimetrodon* Othnielia Tröodon
Dimorphodon* Ouranosaurus Tyrannosaurus rex
Dryosaurus Oviraptor Ultrasauros
Dsungaripterus* Pachycephalosaurus Unenlagia
Edmontosaurus Pachyrhinosaurus Utahraptor
Elasmosaurus* Parasaurolophus Variraptor
Eoraptor Pentaceratops Velociraptor
Eryops* Plateosaurus Vulcanodon
Euoplocephalus Plesiosaurs* Wannanosaurus
Gallimimus Protarchaeopteryx Xiaosaurus
Gargoyleosaurus Protoceratops Yangchuanosaurus
Giganotosaurus Protohadros Zigongosaurus
Heterodontosaurus Psittacosaurus
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