Aucasaurus

Genus of reptiles (fossil)

Aucasaurus was a medium-sized theropod dinosaur from Argentina that lived during the Upper Cretaceous. It was smaller than its relative Carnotaurus. It had extremely short arms. Its skeleton is the most complete abelisaurid skeleton discovered so far. However, the skull is damaged, causing some paleontologists to speculate that it was involved in a fight shortly before it died.

Aucasaurus
Temporal range: Upper Cretaceous, 83 mya
Mounted skeleton reconstruction
Scientific classification
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Aucasaurus

In popular culture change

This dinosaur was featured in the Discovery Channel series Dinosaur Planet, where it was depicted as a pack hunter and ate the sauropod Saltasaurus. In the episode, the head injury discovered in the type specimen was interpreted as being crushed by a stumbling Saltasaurus.