Abelisaurs (“Abel’s lizard” – the family Abelisauridae) were a family of medium-sized, predatory theropod dinosaurs that lived mainly during the Cretaceous period (approximately 145–66 million years ago) in what is now South America and Africa.
Abelisaurs were bipedal carnivores that reached 5–12 metres in length, depending on the species. They had very short forelimbs, with four digits on each hand, and a tall, short skull that could bear various ornaments, including bony ridges on the snout and above the eyes, horns and other bony projections. These ornaments may have served to intimidate rivals or help individuals recognise members of their own species.
