Open Paleo

Abelisauridae

Bonaparte & Novas, 1985 Type genus Abelisaurus

Its genera lived 121.4–66.0 million years ago Early Cretaceous–Late Cretaceous
Early Cretaceous and Late Cretaceous stages

Abelisauridae is a family of ceratosaurian theropod dinosaurs that were among the dominant large predators of the southern supercontinent Gondwana during the Cretaceous. Like most theropods they were carnivorous bipeds, but they are distinguished by short, deep skulls whose bones bear pits and rugose surfaces, sometimes with horns, and by greatly reduced forelimbs (Delcourt, 2018), with unusually robust hind limbs in some members (Carrano and Sampson, 2008). Their fossils are found across Africa, South America, southern Europe, the Indian subcontinent and Madagascar (Pol and colleagues, 2024). A grade of more basal forms such as Rugops gives way to two derived branches: the Indo-Madagascan and European Majungasaurinae and the mostly South American Brachyrostra, the latter including well-known genera such as Carnotaurus and Aucasaurus (Filippi and colleagues, 2016).

Diagnosis

  1. Short, deep skull with heavy sculpturing of the frontal, nasal, and lacrimal bones
  2. Extremely reduced forelimbs with short, stout metacarpals and vestigial manual digits
  3. Thickened, co-ossified skull roof
  4. Short, robust cervical vertebrae with prominent epipophyses

Clades within Abelisauridae

Genera placed directly in Abelisauridae

  • Abelisaurus Bonaparte & Novas, 1985 Campanian (83.6–72.2 Ma)Argentinaunder dispute
  • Chenanisaurus Longrich et al., 2017 Maastrichtian (72.2–66.0 Ma)Morocco
  • Dryptosauroides Nomen dubium Huene & Matley, 1933 Maastrichtian (72.2–66.0 Ma)Indiaincertae sedisunder dispute
  • Genusaurus Accarie et al., 1995 Albian (113.2–100.5 Ma)Franceunder dispute
  • Indosuchus Disputed Huene & Matley, 1933 Maastrichtian (72.2–66.0 Ma)India
  • Kryptops Disputed Sereno & Brusatte, 2008 Aptian–Albian (121.4–100.5 Ma)Niger
  • Kurupi Iori et al., 2021 Maastrichtian (72.2–66.0 Ma)Brazilunder dispute
  • Rugops Sereno et al., 2004 Cenomanian (100.5–93.9 Ma)Niger
  • Spectrovenator Zaher et al., 2020 Aptian (121.4–113.2 Ma)Brazil
  • Tarascosaurus Disputed Le Loeuff & Buffetaut, 1991 Campanian (83.6–72.2 Ma)France
  • Tralkasaurus Cerroni et al., 2020 Cenomanian–Turonian (100.5–89.8 Ma)Argentina
  • Vitosaura Jiménez Velandia et al., 2025 Campanian (83.6–72.2 Ma)Argentina
  • Xenotarsosaurus Martínez et al., 1986 Cenomanian–Turonian (100.5–89.8 Ma)Argentinaunder dispute

References

  1. Bonaparte, J. F.; Novas, F. E. (1985). Abelisaurus comahuensis, n.g., n.sp., Carnosauria del Crétacico Tardio de Patagonia [Abelisaurus comahuensis, n.g., n.sp., Carnosauria from the Late Cretaceous of Patagonia]. Ameghiniana 21: 259-265.

    Named Abelisaurus and the family Abelisauridae. In Spanish.

    bonaparte1985b
  2. Filippi, L. S.; Méndez, A. H.; Juárez Valieri, R. D.; Garrido, A. C. (2016). A new brachyrostran with hypertrophied axial structures reveals an unexpected radiation of latest Cretaceous abelisaurids. Cretaceous Research 61: 209-219. Elsevier BV. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2015.12.018

    Described a new brachyrostran and recovered Kryptops and Rugops as basal abelisaurids, followed by Majungasaurinae and Brachyrostra.

    filippi2016a
  3. Delcourt, R. (2018). Ceratosaur palaeobiology: new insights on evolution and ecology of the southern rulers. Scientific Reports 8(1). Springer Science and Business Media LLC. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-28154-x

    Reviewed ceratosaur paleobiology, including the shortened, deepened abelisaurid skull and the greatly reduced forelimb that kept some mobility.

    delcourt2018c
  4. Pol, D.; Baiano, M. A.; Černý, D.; Novas, F. E.; Cerda, I. A.; Pittman, M. (2024). A new abelisaurid dinosaur from the end Cretaceous of Patagonia and evolutionary rates among the Ceratosauria. Cladistics 40(3): 307-356. Wiley. doi:10.1111/cla.12583

    Described a new abelisaurid from the end Cretaceous of Patagonia, noting the family's occurrence across Gondwana and in Europe.

    pol2024a
  5. Carrano, M. T.; Sampson, S. D. (2008). The Phylogeny of Ceratosauria (Dinosauria: Theropoda). Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 6(2): 183-236. doi:10.1017/S1477201907002246

    Revised the phylogeny of Ceratosauria, noting unusually robust hind limb elements in certain abelisaurids.

    carrano2008a