Rugops primus is a genus of theropod dinosaur that lived during the Cretaceous period approximately 95 to 93 million years ago. This dinosaur is known for its discovery in what is now North Africa, specifically in what is known as the Echkar Formation in Niger. Its name, "Rugops", is derived from the Latin words "rugosus", meaning "wrinkled", and "ops", meaning "face", referring to the wrinkles and features of its skull.
Rugops main features and details include:
Size: Rugops was a moderately sized dinosaur, with an estimated length of around 5 meters and an estimated weight of about 500 kg.
Skull: One of the most distinctive features of Rugops is its skull. It had a long and low skull, with a series of ridges on its surface, hence its name. Rugops' skull was equipped with sharp, conical teeth, indicative of its carnivorous diet.
Diet: Although it is known that it was a carnivore, its exact diet is still debated. It is believed that it may have fed mainly on small dinosaurs, other terrestrial vertebrates and possibly carrion.
Forelimbs: Rugops had relatively short forelimbs compared to its hindlimbs, suggesting that it was a bipedal dinosaur that moved primarily on its hindlimbs.
Habitat: Rugops lived in an environment that included rivers and coastal areas of what is now the Sahara Desert in Africa. This region would have been much wetter during the Cretaceous than today.
Phylogeny: Rugops belongs to the group of abelisaurs, a group of carnivorous theropods characterized by short and robust skulls. This group includes some of the most notable predators of the time, such as Carnotaurus.
Approximate measurements of the Rugops:
Rugops main features and details include:
Size: Rugops was a moderately sized dinosaur, with an estimated length of around 5 meters and an estimated weight of about 500 kg.
Skull: One of the most distinctive features of Rugops is its skull. It had a long and low skull, with a series of ridges on its surface, hence its name. Rugops' skull was equipped with sharp, conical teeth, indicative of its carnivorous diet.
Diet: Although it is known that it was a carnivore, its exact diet is still debated. It is believed that it may have fed mainly on small dinosaurs, other terrestrial vertebrates and possibly carrion.
Forelimbs: Rugops had relatively short forelimbs compared to its hindlimbs, suggesting that it was a bipedal dinosaur that moved primarily on its hindlimbs.
Habitat: Rugops lived in an environment that included rivers and coastal areas of what is now the Sahara Desert in Africa. This region would have been much wetter during the Cretaceous than today.
Phylogeny: Rugops belongs to the group of abelisaurs, a group of carnivorous theropods characterized by short and robust skulls. This group includes some of the most notable predators of the time, such as Carnotaurus.
Approximate measurements of the Rugops:
- Scale 1:35 - 136 mm
