The Carnotaurus was a distinctive theropod dinosaur, recognizable by its striking appearance. This predator featured two thick, bull-like horns positioned above its eyes, a unique trait among known carnivorous dinosaurs. Its skull was notably deep and sat atop a muscular neck.
It possessed unusually small, vestigial forelimbs, even shorter than those of Tyrannosaurus rex. Despite these tiny arms, Carnotaurus had long, slender, powerful hind limbs, indicating it was a fast bipedal runner. Fossil evidence includes extensive skin impressions, revealing a body covered in scales rather than feathers. Its name, “meat-eating bull,” aptly reflects its carnivorous diet and horned head.
The Age of Carnotaurus
The Carnotaurus roamed the Earth during the Late Cretaceous period. This period, spanning from approximately 100.5 to 66 million years ago, marked the final chapter for non-avian dinosaurs. More precisely, Carnotaurus lived during the Campanian to Maastrichtian stages of the Late Cretaceous, with some studies refining its presence to the lower Maastrichtian stage, around 72 to 69 million years ago.
The Late Cretaceous was characterized by the continued breakup of the supercontinent Pangaea, leading to increased regional differences in flora and fauna across continents. New groups of dinosaurs emerged. The Late Cretaceous also saw the appearance and diversification of flowering plants, which significantly reshaped terrestrial ecosystems. For large carnivorous dinosaurs in the southern landmasses of Gondwana, such as South America, abelisaurids like Carnotaurus became the dominant predators.
Carnotaurus’s Ancient World
Fossil evidence places Carnotaurus exclusively in South America, specifically in the region of Patagonia, Argentina. Its remains have been discovered within the La Colonia Formation in Chubut Province. This geological formation provides insights into the environment this dinosaur inhabited.
The climate during the Late Cretaceous in this region was warm, with distinct wet and dry seasons. The La Colonia Formation itself suggests an environment consisting of lagoon or lake systems, coastal plains, estuaries, and tidal flats. This diverse landscape likely included subtropical forests and open, grassy areas.
The ecosystem of the La Colonia Formation included various forms of life that coexisted with Carnotaurus. Fossil discoveries in this area include turtles, snakes, and early mammals. Other dinosaurs, such as ankylosaurs, hadrosaurs, and sauropods, were also part of this ancient Patagonian world. Plant life included aquatic forms like water ferns and various angiosperms, alongside terrestrial plants such as palms, other ferns, and conifers.