Allosaurus Fact Sheet Common Name: Allosaurus fragilis Scientific Name: Fagile different lizard Wild Status: Jurassic Period, 155-150 MYA Habitat: North America, Portugal Country: Countries in North America and Portugal Shelter: Unknown Life Span: Unknown Size: 30 feet long, 8 feet tall at the hips, 1.5 tons Details Allosaurus is often referred to as “the lion of the Jurassic” and was one of the most common carnivores of its day. There is considerable debate as to whether or not Allosaurus lived in packs. It is not uncommon to find fossil deposits containing multiple individuals, and some paleontologists cite bite marks on snouts as evidence for establishing hierarchy within a social group. However, others argue that this is evidence for intraspecific competition rather than sociality. Cool Facts • Surprisingly for a large predator, Allosaurus had a relatively weak bite for its size. It most likely attacked prey by inflicting slashing-style injuries with its serrated teeth and then waiting for the animal to succumb to its wounds. • Several Allosaurus specimens bear puncture wounds indicative of being struck by the thagomizer of a Stegosaurus and there are stegosaur plates with U- shaped pieces missing that match up with an allosaur snout, providing clear evidence of a violent predator-prey relationship between the two species. Taxonomic Breakdown Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Saurischia Family: Allosauridae Genus: Allosaurus Species: A. fragilis Conservation & Helping The Allosaurus is currently extinct, and was believed to exist 155 - 150 Million Years Ago Download all our fact sheets, take our quizzes, and more, all in the Critter Squad Kids’ Zone! https://www.crittersquad.com/kids-zone/.