Rugops

The Rugops was a large theropod dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous Period, approximately 95 million years ago. This dinosaur also belonged to the family Abelisauridae, which lived during the Late Cretaceous.

Key facts

DomainDescription
Rugops pronunciationRoo-gops
What does Rugops mean?Wrinkle face
Dinosaur typeTheropod
On the menuCarnivore
Length14′ – 17′ (4.4 – 5.3 meters)
Height8′ (2.5 meters)
Weight900 lbs (410 kg)
Life expectancyUnknown
Legs used to get aroundBipedal
Estimated top speedApproximately 15 miles per hour or 24.1 kilometers per hour
When they livedLate Cretaceous Period about 95 million years ago.
Where they have been found?Niger, Africa

When & Where

World-renowned paleontologist, Paul Sereno, discovered a skull that looked like an abelisaurid in In-Abangharit, Niger Republic. This specimen was from the Echkar formation which, from research, has been concluded that date back to the Cretaceous Period.

Size & Weight

Rugops is believed to have reached a length of 14′ – 17′ (4.4 – 5.3 meters), a height of  8′ (2.5 meters), and a weight of 900 lbs (410 kg).

Mobility & Diet

Carnivorous dinosaurs ate smaller dinosaurs and other animals to live. Due to their fragile head, the Rugops were only able to hunt animals smaller than them. It was also hard for this dinosaur to eat as most herbivores were larger than them.

Interesting Points

  • The Rugops was considered to be the first abelisaurid to be discovered in Africa, while most abelisaurids were found in South Africa, Madagascar, and India.
  • There has only been one specimen that was found by paleontologists for this dinosaur.

Featured Image Credit: Liam Elward, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons