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Rajasaurus

Say it: RAH-juh-sore-us

Name means: “princely lizard”1

Ate: MeatMeat-eating dinosLate Cretaceous

Rajasaurus was a meat-eating dinosaur that lived in India near the end of the Cretaceous Period. It had a single short horn on its forehead and used its strong neck and jaws to catch prey. This dinosaur was an ambush predator, hiding and then pouncing on its food.1

Lived

72 to 66 million years ago4

Late Cretaceous

Fossils found in

Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, India2 4

Food

Meat1 2

Length

6.6 m1 2

some estimates suggest up to 11 m, but 6.6 m is widely accepted

Weight

4 tonnes2

Height

2.44 m3

at the hip

Top speed

about 25 km/h (16 mph)

Running, estimate

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

How long was it?

How tall was it?

at the hip

How heavy was it?

as heavy as 2.5 cars

as long as 7 dogs nose to tailas long as 37 bananas end to endas heavy as 130 big dogsas heavy as 800 watermelonsabout as tall as a door

How big was Rajasaurus compared to YOU?

Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

How fast was it?

A person walking about 5 km/h (3 mph)

A kid on a bike about 22 km/h (14 mph)

Rajasaurus about 25 km/h (16 mph)

A galloping horse about 65 km/h (40 mph)

A cheetah about 100 km/h (62 mph)

cool stuff

Fun facts

Rajasaurus had a single low horn on its forehead made mostly of nasal bone, unlike the horn of its relative Majungasaurus.2

It was one of the larger abelisaurids, measuring about 6.6 metres (22 feet) long.1

Rajasaurus lived on the island of India during the Late Cretaceous, when India was isolated from other continents.1

Its fossils were found in the Lameta Formation, which was once a river valley with an arid or semi-arid climate.2

The horn on its head might have been used for display or for head-butting other Rajasaurus during fights.1 2

Rajasaurus had short arms and four fingers, so it relied on its powerful head and jaws to catch prey.2

It is the first Indian theropod dinosaur to have preserved bones from the spine, hips, legs, and tail.2

AI-made picture of Rajasaurus — An AI-made picture of how Rajasaurus might have looked, made by a computer from what scientists know. It is a guess: the real animal may have looked different, and nobody knows its true colours.

you asked

Most asked questions about Rajasaurus

?How big was Rajasaurus?

Rajasaurus was about 6.6 metres (22 feet) long, though one scientist estimated it at 11 metres (36 feet). It weighed around 4 metric tons (4.4 short tons).2 1

?What did Rajasaurus eat?

Rajasaurus was a carnivore that ate meat. It probably hunted large prey like sauropod dinosaurs and may have also scavenged for food.1 3

?Did Rajasaurus have feathers?

No one knows for sure. The fossils don't show feathers, and most abelisaurids are not known to have had them, but some scientists think many theropods might have had simple feathers.2 1

?Was Rajasaurus bigger than T. rex?

No, Rajasaurus was smaller. T. rex could reach about 12 metres (40 feet) long, while Rajasaurus was only about 6.6 metres (22 feet) long.1 2

?Why did Rajasaurus have a horn?

The horn was probably used for display to attract mates or for head-butting other Rajasaurus during fights. It was made mostly of nasal bone.1 2

?Could Rajasaurus swim?

Probably not. It was a land dinosaur with strong legs for walking and running, not swimming. It lived near rivers but likely stayed on land.2 1

?When did Rajasaurus live?

Rajasaurus lived during the Late Cretaceous period, about 72 to 66 million years ago, right before the dinosaurs went extinct.1 2

?What would happen if Rajasaurus was alive today?

It would be a large predator, but it would probably not survive well because its habitat and prey are gone. It might be kept in zoos or studied by scientists.1 2

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For dino experts

Scientific name: Rajasaurus
Named by: Wilson et al. 20034
Group: Meat-eating dinos
Family / clade: Abelisauridae4
Classification: Theropoda > Ceratosauria > Abelisauridae4
Age of the rocks: 72 to 66 million years (Maastrichtian)4
Rock formations: Lameta4
Countries: India4
Fossil records: 1 in the Paleobiology Database4
Discovery: Rajasaurus was named in 2003 by Jeffrey A. Wilson and colleagues. The fossils were found in the Lameta Formation of Gujarat, India, after dinosaur eggs were discovered there in 1981.2 4
Still debated: Scientists are not sure what the horn on its head was used for. It may have been for display or for head-butting, but no one knows for certain.1

Where the facts come from

Rajasaurus | Natural History Museum (nhm.ac.uk)
Rajasaurus (en.wikipedia.org)
Discoveries | Paul Sereno - Paleontologist | The University of Chicago (paulsereno.uchicago.edu)
Rajasaurus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.

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