The Carcharodontosaurus was a two-legged theropod that roamed Africa during the late Cretaceous period. As a descendant of the Allosaurus, the Carcharodontosaurus had a gigantic skull with shark-like teeth that it used to rip into sauropods. It had dense, heavy bones that made it twice as heavy as a T. rex, although they were similar in size.
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Some Quick Facts about the Carcharodontosaurus
| Name | Carcharodontosaurus (meaning “shark-toothed lizard”) |
| Type of dinosaur | Theropod |
| Territory | Plains, forest areas, North Africa |
| Size | Large, 39-44 feet long, 14 feet tall |
| Color | Likely dark brown |
| Interesting Characteristics | Gigantic skull with shark-like teeth |
| Diet | Sauropods |
| Major Threats | Natural disasters |
The Carcharodontosaurus was a scary apex predator of the late Cretaceous period, giving the T-Rex a run for its money. With a mouth full of shark-like teeth and a weight heavier than 50 grizzly bears, this was a Theropod you didn’t want to bump into if you were a sauropod!
Was the Carcharodontosaurus Bigger than a T. rex?
Yes, the Carcharodontosaurus was bigger than a T. rex. The Carcharodontosaurus is sometimes called the African T. rex because it was large, ferocious, and brutal.
Standing side-to-side, both theropods were similar in height, but the Carcharodontosaurus was much denser and heavier. An adult T. rex weighed around 15,000 pounds; the Carcharodontosaurus could reach weights up to 33,000 pounds!
Was the Carcharodontosaurus related to the T. rex?
Remember that even though the T. rex and Carcharodontosaurus looked similar, they were different species of theropods. The family that the T. rex belonged to was closely related to birds (like the Zhenyuanlong) and had hollow bones, so it was lighter in weight.
The Carcharodontosaurus, on the other hand, belonged to a family of dinos with heavy and dense bones, which is why it was so much heavier than the T. rex.
Did the Carcharodontosaurus Evolve from an Allosaurus?
These two dinoes were related! The Carcharodontosaurus evolved from the fierce Allosaurus from the late Jurassic period. The Allosaurus, aka ‘different lizard,’ had much in common with the Carcharodontosaurus, which appeared in the late Jurassic period.
These two dinos may look similar but are separated by about 100 million years. That’s a very long time! The Allosaurus roamed Africa, Europe, and North America around 150 million years ago, and the Carcharodontosaurus didn’t show up until about 100 million years later.
The Allosaurus wasn’t just the grandpa to the Carcharodontosaurus, but other dinosaurs. Based on similar size and bone structure, the Allosaurus was also closely related to the Acrocanthosaurus and Giganotosaurus.
Did the Carcharodontosaurus Have Feathers?
Some species of dinos likely had feathers, but it’s unlikely that the Carcharodontosaures had feathers. Some dinosaurs with hollow bones, like the T. rex, are very similar to modern-day birds and might have had similar feathers.
But if we look back at the heavy bone structure of the Carcharondontosaurus, we know that their bones weren’t hollow. They were very dense and heavy and had little in common with modern birds. Therefore, it’s doubtful that this apex predator was covered in feathers.
What Was the Carcharodontosaurus’ Diet?
One look at those serrated teeth (similar to a great white shark), and there’s no mistaking it for a carnivore.
Its razor-sharp teeth pointed inward, making it easier to rip the meat off bones. Paleontologists agree that this Cretaceous period dino dined on sauropods like the Metriacanthosaurus, Spinosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Apatosaurus, and Diplodocus. It was even able to dine on sauropods that were larger than itself!
How was the Carcharodontosaurus First Discovered?
In 1914, a few teeth were discovered by Depéret and Savornin in Algeria, but they were classified as the Megalosaurus. It wasn’t until paleontologist Ernst Stromer observed similar dinosaur fossils from Egypt and earned these fossils a new species: Carcharodnotosaurs. These fossils were a big discovery, but all were destroyed during bombings in World War II.
However, all hope wasn’t lost! More fossils of this theropod were unearthed in Kem Kem Group of Morocco by Paul Sereno. The original fossils were destroyed in 1944, and it wasn’t until 1995 that these new specimens were found. With the new fossils, paleontologists learned a lot about this dinosaur that many thought was lost forever.
What Made the Carcharodontosaurus Special?
The Tyrannosaurus rex often comes to mind when we think of scary apex predators. And while the T. rex was quite scary, the Carcharodontosaurus was even more terrifying.
The Carcharodontosaurus was unique because it was almost two times heavier than the colossal T. rex and was one of the heaviest theropod dinosaurs ever to walk planet Earth.