Abelisaurus ‭(‬Abel’s lizard‭)

Abelisaurus (/@,belI'so:r@s(also known as “Abel's lizard”) is one of the genus of predatory abelisaurids, a theropod dinosaur that lived in the Late Cretaceous Period (Campanian) of the region that is currently South America. It was bipedal and was likely to have reached around 7.4 metres (24 3 inches) of length.

The holotype, MC 11078, was discovered in 1983 on the “Cantera de the Pala Mecanica”-site located in the Lago Pellegrini quarry. It is the only known one of Abelisaurus, and is believed to be more than 85 centimetres (33 in) long. It was initially thought to be from the Allen Formation, but subsequent studies revealed that the remains were discovered in the more ancient Anacleto Formation (part of the Neuquen Group) of Rio Negro Province, Argentina.

Further research is needed. Abelisaurus is a small abelisaurid characterized by its small head and small body. Gregory S. Paul estimated the body's length as 10 metres (32 10 in.) with a weight of three tons. Thomas Holtz gave a possible length of 11 meters (36.3 feet). In 2016, the length was calculated to be 7.4 meters (24 3 inches).

Other authors reported an equivalent size of 7.2 meters (23.6 feet) and 1.65 tonnes (1.82 short tons). The length of the skull was estimated to be 85 centimetres (33+1/2 in) in 1985. It is fairly deep and has a triangular antorbital-fenestra on the snout's lateral side. It is constrained to the center by projections of bony bone from the lacrimal bone on the front and postorbital bone to the rear. Behind the eye socket, a large triangular fenestra infratemporal is found.

Its shape reflects a significant forward tilt of the back of the skull. The frontal snout bone of the praemaxilla, had four tiny teeth, and the maxilla to its rear had at least seven, but it could be as many as thirteenteeth.