Studying information about dinosaurs, it becomes uncomfortable - these huge animals are not fiction fantasies, they are real creatures that existed 201 million years ago on Earth. The superorder dinosaurs are numerous, it contains both small and very harmless species, as well as real monsters. The most terrible and dangerous dinosaurs in the world are large and powerful individuals, armed with sharp claws and teeth.
10. Irritator
A predatory irrigator inhabited the territory of modern Brazil about 110 million years ago. The length of the individual from the nose to the tip of the tail is 7-8 m, growth in height - 2.5 m, which does not allow the species to be classified as the largest, but does not mean at all that it was harmless. Using the irritator's skull, it was possible to establish that the jaws looked like crocodiles. This allowed him to easily get fish out of the water - the main part of the diet, as well as successfully feast on small herbivorous dinosaurs. The monster from the Cretaceous period moved quickly on two legs, dexterity and agility fully compensated for the small size.
Interesting: the sight of an irritator is one of those mentioned in Arthur Conan Doyle's book The Lost World.
9. Velociraptor
Velociraptors in appearance are difficult to rank among the most terrible representatives of the dinosaur family, because they had very small sizes - about 60 cm in height and no more than 2 meters in length to the tip of a long tail. However, their character and behavior do not at all fit with the first impression - velociraptors were extremely vicious and aggressive. They predominantly hunted small herbivores, which was helped by cunning tactics. Predators attacked the prey, clawing their clawed hind legs to the neck and head, and tore up the arteries, causing mortal wounds.
A huge curved claw on the hind limbs helped the hunter cut the flesh of a fallen opponent without much difficulty.
8. Dilophosaurus
The predatory dinosaur Dilophosaurus is not only one of the most dangerous dinosaurs, but also the star of the popular film "Jurassic Park." Everyone who watched it remembered terrifying monsters with a mouthful of sharp teeth and two bright ridges on their heads. The length of the largest specimen, the remains of which scientists managed to get, is 7 meters, weight - about 400 kg. Representatives of this species, although moving on their hind legs, the forelimbs also had strong. They used them to inflict mortal wounds. An unusual feature of the species is the ability to squat and relax, taking a pose similar to that of modern birds.
7. Megalosaurus
The bipedal megalosaurus became the first dinosaur, the remains of which were found by humans. Until now, it was not possible to establish exactly what it looked like, since not a single complete skeleton was found. Representatives of the species reached 9 meters in length, they had a long and mobile neck, short front and powerful hind limbs. The teeth of the megalosaurus are especially terrifying - they are long and large, with tips bent inside the jaw to hold the prey. The carnivorous thousand-kilogram predator moved quickly, which allowed him to hunt effectively.
6. Carcharodontosaurus
A carkharodontosaurus is a real monster, even by the standards of dinosaurs. Individuals of this species lived on the territory of modern Africa and reached enormous sizes - 16 m in length and about 4 in height, which makes them one of the largest predatory reptiles. To this day, a whole skull has not been found, there are only some parts of it, but their power is impressive - some teeth reach 20 cm in length. It is assumed that they hunted large herbivorous titanosaurs, whose length reached 40 meters. This fact perfectly demonstrates the strength and power of carcharodontosaurs.
5. Spinosaurus
The name "spinosaurus" from Latin literally translates as "spiked lizard". The ideas about the appearance of the prehistoric monster have changed several times due to lack of materials. To date, it is believed that the animal moved on 2 limbs, most likely led an aquatic lifestyle and had a trapezoidal sail on its back. This is a large species of dinosaurs, representatives in length reached 16 meters and had a mass of 7-10 tons.
A specific sail is a feature of the structure of the spine - it was formed by huge processes of the dorsal and caudal vertebrae. The jaws of the spinosaurus are narrow and long, with large sharp teeth. Tenacious claws were of no small importance in the hunt for prey. The structure of the jaw of this monster is very specific, so scientists suggest that he hunted only those individuals that he could swallow as a whole, including aquatic ones.
4. Giganotosaurus
Giganotozarv is described by the skeleton found in 1995 in the territory of modern Argentina. Body length - 12-13 meters, weight about 7-8 tons. This species is one of the five largest theropods (the largest is the spinosaurus, the giantotosaurus is in second place). Large herbivorous individuals were the prey of the predatory dinosaur; for hunting it developed a rather high speed (up to 50 km per hour) and had a developed system of crests on the skull, which increased its strength in battle. In appearance, giganotosaurs resemble well-known tyrannosaurs.
Interesting fact: it is the giantotosaurus represented by the main monster in the film "Journey to the Center of the Earth."
3. Ceratosaurus
The representative of the Jurassic period, the ceratosaurus is a predatory genus, with powerful hind limbs and a body length of 7-8 meters. A distinctive feature is a relief horn on the nasal bones and two hard protrusions above the eyes. Osteoderma — ossified protrusions — were located along the entire back line of the species. Such monsters inhabited nearby water bodies and mainly hunted aquatic animals, but they did not disdain ground-based meat.
The skull of the ceratosaurus was large in relation to body size, and although it can not be called the strongest in structure. The jaws were strong and filled with large sharp teeth. The memorable and awesome appearance made the dinosaur a real celebrity - he often appears in modern films and books.
2. Carnotaurus
Carnotaurus is one of the few large species whose appearance and anatomy have been reliably established using the full skeleton. A lizard with an 8-meter body moved on powerful hind legs, and its forelimbs were reduced as much as possible - reduced to less functional sizes. This is not the largest dinosaur, it did not have huge teeth, but this does not make it harmless.
On the contrary, a large number of small and sharp teeth easily cut prey, and a relatively weak skull had developed kinetism - the joints between the bones were mobile, so individuals could swallow large pieces of meat and even some animals as a whole. Carnotaurs attacked quickly and accurately, thanks to which they could control large areas.
1. Theresinosaurus
Terezinosaurus lived in the Cretaceous period, this is a unique species, which cannot be completely restored due to the lack of full skeletons. Known facts:
- weight about 6 tons;
- length 9-12 meters;
- long forelimbs (2.5-3 meters);
- hind limbs with 4 supporting claws;
- the presence on each forepaw of 3 giant claws (about 1 meter in length each).
It is not known for certain what the terezinosaurus fed on, scientists attribute it to a predominantly herbivore. But the appointment of awesome claws remains a mystery, one of the hypotheses is weapons in battles with carnivorous individuals. Such devices on long limbs clearly gave the Theresinosaurs a significant advantage in battle. Representatives of the species are listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the strangest dinosaurs.