How Big Was Carcharodontosaurus?
Carcharodontosaurus was an enormous sized predatory dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period, around 100 to 94 million years ago. It belonged to the carcharodontosaurid family, which is part of the larger theropod group. These theropods include iconic predators such as T-Rex, Giganotosaurus and Velociraptor. Carcharodontosaurus was known for its massive size and shark-like teeth, which were perfect for tearing through the flesh of its prey.
Carcharodontosaurus was a massive theropod dinosaur, measuring up to 12-13 meters in length, 4 meters in height, and weighing around 6-8 tons. Its defining features included a large skull, powerful jaws, and serrated teeth, which made it a formidable predator.
we take a longer, and well deserved, look at the Carcharodontosaurus and discover its size, why it grew so large, and how it compares to other dinosaurs and in this article, we explore just how colossal this dinosaur was.
What Was The Carcharodontosaurus?
Carcharodontosaurus was a massive and powerful predator that lived during the Late Cretaceous period, around 100 to 94 million years ago, in the area that is now North Africa.
It is known for its enormous size, large skull, powerful jaws, and serrated teeth, which were similar to those of a shark. These features made it a highly efficient predator, capable of taking down large prey. It has been compared to the largest predators, and more famous dinosaurs, Like T-Rex and Giganotosaurus, and certainly warrants in place in the same category as them. Especially when you consider it was alive in a similar location and at a similar time to Spinosaurus!
Some Quick Facts about Carcharodontosaurus:
- Habitat: Carcharodontosaurus lived in what is now North Africa, specifically in countries like Morocco, Algeria, and Egypt, during the Late Cretaceous period.
- Time Period: It existed approximately 100-94 million years ago.
- Discovery: The first fossils of Carcharodontosaurus were discovered in 1927 by Charles Depéret and J. Savornin in Algeria, North Africa.
- Name: It actually has the second longest name of any dinosaur currently known. You can find out the longest named dinosaur here.
We have a whole article on Carcharodontosaurus here on the site which you can check out on the image below.
How Big was a Carcharodontosaurus?
Carcharodontosaurus was one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs that ever lived. This gigantic predator roamed the Earth during the Late Cretaceous period, around 100 to 94 million years ago,
With estimates of its size varying based on the fossils discovered and the methods used to determine its dimensions. this is not unusual and all of the dinosaurs especially larger species have had vastly different size estimates throughout the years.
According to these estimates, Carcharodontosaurus was likely between 12 to 13 meters long (about 39-43 feet), about 4 meters tall at the hips, and weighed around 6,000 to 8,000 kg (13,200-17,600 lbs). This makes it one of the most massive theropods, rivaling even the famed T-Rex, giganotosaurus and Spinosaurus in terms of size.
Table 1: Size of Carcharodontosaurus
| Dinosaur | Length | Height at Hips | Weight | When it Lived (mya) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carcharodontosaurus | 39-43 feet (12-13 metres) | 13 feet (4 metres) | 13-17,00 lbs (6-8000 kg) | 100 – 94 mya |
Comparison of Carcharodontosaurus to the Size of Other Dinosaurs
When comparing Carcharodontosaurus to other dinosaurs, especially the larger predators, we can see that it was one of the most massive theropods. In terms of size, we have included the table below to give you some idea of how Carcharodontosaurus stacks up next to other large predatory dinosaurs like T-Rex, Allosaurus, and Giganotosaurus.
Table 2: Comparison of Carcharodontosaurus to Other Dinosaurs
Carcharodontosaurus was certainly a massive dinosaur and it is in the ring for largest predator ever, but how did it actually compare with the other of the massive predatory dinosaurs. We take a look below.
These estimates are based on fossil evidence discovered so far, and the exact size and weight of these dinosaurs would have varied depending on multiple factors. We wait and see what the next fossils unearthed will tell us in the future.
| Dinosaur | Length (m) | Height at Hips (m) | Weight | When it Lived (mya) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carcharodontosaurus | 39-43 feet (12-13 metres) | 13 feet (4 metres) | 13-17,00 lbs (6-8000 kg) | 100 – 94 mya |
| Giganotosaurus | 12-14 meters | 3-4.5 meters | 6,800-12,000 kg | 99-95 Mya |
| Carnotaurus | 7-8 meters | 2.5 – 3 meters | 1,350 2,000 kg | 71-69 mya |
| T-Rex | 12.3-12.8 | 4 meters | 8-9000 kg | 68-66 mya |
| Allosaurus | 8-12 | 3.5-4.3 meters | up to 3,000 kg | 155-145 mya |
| Spinosaurus | 12-17 meters | 4-7 metres | 7400 ( currently) | 99-93 mya |
| Therizinosaurus | 9-10 meters | 4-5 meters | 3-5000 kg | 70 mya |
Anatomy of a Carcharodontosaurus
Carcharodontosaurus had a fair standard body shape of a large carnivore with a large skull and powerful jaws designed for biting through the flesh of its prey, while its serrated teeth were perfect for tearing and cutting and shpad and serrated like a shark’s teeth, which is where its name comes from.
The dinosaur’s long, muscular limbs were well-suited for covering long distances and chasing down prey. Its three-toed feet and powerful legs allowed for quick bursts of speed, making it a formidable hunter.
it lived in the same area and at the same time as spinosaurus, another huge predator, and although their food may not have overlapped a lot there would likely have been times when they did run into (or away) each other. Other large predator dinosaurs like T-Rex and Giganotosaurus have not had to face that sort of competition ( that we have discovered)
Was Carcharodontosaurus bigger than T-Rex?
Carcharodontosaurus and T. rex were similar in size, and both huge dinosaurs, but there are some differences in their measurements and dimensions. In terms of length, Carcharodontosaurus measured between 12 to 13 meters (39-43 feet), while T. rex was typically between 12.3 to 12.8 meters (40-42 feet) long. So it is thought that the Carcharodontosaurus was slightly longer.
However, T. rex is thought to be generally more heavy than Carcharodontosaurus. T. rex weighed between 8,000 to 9,000 kg (17,600-19,800 lbs), while Carcharodontosaurus weighed between 6,000 to 8,000 kg (13,200-17,600 lbs) but more likely in the middle of those ranges.
So, while Carcharodontosaurus was slightly longer, T. rex was generally more heavy and well built. Both dinosaurs were among the largest and most fearsome predators of their time, and their size differences would not be a factor even if they ever met. ( they couldn’t of course)
How Do We Know How Big Carcharodontosaurus Was?
We know the size of Carcharodontosaurus thanks to the discovery of fossil specimens, and comparing to similar dinosaurs we know already. By studying and of course measuring these fossils, paleontologists can estimate the size and weight of the dinosaur, as well as other physical characteristics such as its height and length, and even with the help of 3d modelling make educated guess about its movement and speed.
Bone Measurements
One of the most obvious, and useful ways, that scientists work out the size of a dinosaur is by analyzing its bones. By comparing the size and shape of different bones to those of other known dinosaurs, researchers can estimate the overall body size of the animal. This can be done even from very limited bones.
In the case of Carcharodontosaurus, its size is also helped by the fact that its fossils were found in relatively good condition, which allows for more accurate measurements.
3D Modeling
In addition to studying its bones, researchers can also use computer modeling to create digital reconstructions of the dinosaur’s body and musculature.
This can help to estimate the size and shape of soft tissue structures such as muscles, tendons, and ligaments, which can, in turn, provide a more accurate picture of the animal’s overall size, bulk, and weight. as we mentioned above it can also be used to give suggestions on how it moved, its speed and even how it would have hunted.
We have a series of articles on How Big Dinosaurs were, including sauropods and carnivores, and you can follow the links below to check out the size of other popular dinosaurs. We are expanding this section on a regular basis.
And if you wanted to know some of the smallest dinosaurs ever you can check out the article on the site as well. As although dinosaurs are often thought to be huge monstrous animals there were plenty of small ones as well and we take a look at them on the link above.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that Carcharodontosaurus was an enormous and impressive dinosaur that ranked among the largest carnivorous dinosaurs that ever lived.
With its impressive size of around 39 to 43 feet in length and weighing between 13,200 and 17,600 lbs, it was certainly a dominant predator in its environment, as it lived with Spinosaurus it may or maynot have been the dominant predator though.
References
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carcharodontosaurus
- https://www.fossilera.com/pages/about-carcharodontosaurus
- https://www.quora.com/What-is-Carcharodontosaurus-size
Hi, I am Roy Ford a General Studies and English Teacher who has taught all over the world. What started as a fossil collection became a great way to teach, motivate and inspire students of all ages and all over the world about dinosaurs and from that and children’s love of dinosaurs came the site dinosaur facts for kids, a resource for all ages.
