Allosaurus
AL-oh-SORE-us /ˌæləˈsɔːrəs/
Accepted genus
different lizard
- allos · Greek · different, other
- sauros · Greek · lizard
Allosaurus means "different lizard". Othniel Charles Marsh chose the name in 1877 because its vertebrae were different from those of other known dinosaurs. They were lighter and hollowed out compared with the vertebrae of other dinosaurs known at the time.
- Named by
- Marsh
- Year named
- 1877
- Period
- Late Jurassic
- Stages
- Kimmeridgian – Tithonian
- Found in
- Morrison Formation, western USA (e.g. Utah, Colorado, Wyoming); possibly also Portugal
A large theropod dinosaur and the type genus of the family Allosauridae. The type species is Allosaurus fragilis. The species name "fragilis" refers to the fragile, lightened vertebrae.