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Dinosaurs are some of the most famous prehistoric creatures. They lived some 230 million years ago during the Triassic Period. They are giant reptiles that are members of the subclass archosaurs or “ruling reptiles.” This subclass also houses birds and crocodiles; hence, they are related to the great dinosaur.
Dinosaurs varied in sizes, weights, just like they did in diets. Some were mainly meat eaters, plant eaters, and some were a bit of both. Our interest, in the article, is on the meat-eaters, the biggest carnivorous dinosaurs while also the most dangerous dinosaurs.
Then, let’s look at some of the largest meat-eating dinosaurs! There is still an ongoing debate about the weights and size of these creatures. Are you ready? Let’s start!
1. Allosaurus
Source by: JWE Species Anlysis
Type: Theropod
Period: Late Jurassic epoch
Size and Weight: Average 8.5 meters (28 ft) in length and weighs 2.3 metric tons (2.5 short tons)
Diet: Carnivores (large herbivore dinosaurs, like Stegosaurs and Brachiosaurus)
The first on our list of largest meat-eating dinosaurs is the Allosaurus. Allosaurus was a large, bipedal Theropod that existed during the late Jurassic period, over 159 million years ago. The late Jurassic dinosaur, which grew to about 28 to 39 ft (5-12 m) in length, and weighed over 2 tons, roamed through North America.
Its fossil was recovered in the Morrison Formation (a layer of rocks formed in the Jurassic period), located in the western United States. This creature was named after the famous fossil collector Othniel Charles Marsh.
Allosaurus was an apex predator that would have preyed on many Sauropods and Stegosauria, such as the Stegosaurus.
2. Megalosaurus
Source by: Jurassic World Evolution
Type: Theropod
Period: Middle Jurassic period
Size and Weight: 6 metres (20 ft) in length and weighs 700 kilograms (1,500 lb)
Diet: Carnivores (sauropods and may have also hunted the stegosaurus)
Megalosaurus is an extinct genus of giant meat-eating theropod dinosaurs of the Middle Jurassic period of Southern England.
This carnivore walked on its hind legs, using its tail as a balance. It was a fearsome predator, and its likely prey would have included sauropods and stegosaurus. It was discovered in England and possibly France
It was a middle Jurassic dinosaur and was one of the three species used by English paleontologist Richard Owen to present a ‘new type of animal to the world – the dinosaurs. In fact, it was the first dinosaur to be named. It had an estimated length of 30 ft (9 m) and a weight of approximately 3.5 tons.
3. Tarbosaurus
Source by: The Dino King Wiki
Type: Theropods
Period: Late Cretaceous Period
Size and Weight: 10 to 12 meters (36 to 40 ft) in length and weighs 5 metric tons (5.5 short tons)
Diet: Carnivores (primarily hunted large dinosaurs, such as Nemegtosaurus, Saurolophus)
The carnivorous dinosaur, and the third on our list, is the Tarbosaurus. The name “Tarbosaurus” came from a Greek word that means alarming lizard due to its size and deadly jaws and claws that could easily tear a person.
This carnivore, the cousin of the North American Tyrannosaurus Rex, was first discovered in China’s Gobi Desert.
Source by: Fandom
The largest specimen found in a 70-million-year-old rock foundation in Mongolia measured 40 feet long and weighed about 6 tons. Quite fascinating that this huge creature is just the third on our list!
There is still some controversy regarding this dinosaur because of its similarity to the Tyrannosaurus Rex. It’s speculated that the T-rex has a growth spurt during its teenage years, and it is not entirely impossible to reach the size of a Tarbosaurus. While the T-rex is called the king of North American dinosaurs, the Tarbosaurus was equal in Asia.
4. Acrocanthosaurus
Source by: DeviantArt
Type: Theropods
Period: Early Cretaceous
Size and Weight: 11 meters (36 ft) in length and weighs up to 6.2 metric tons (6.8 short tons)
Diet: Carnivores (smaller, plant-eating dinosaurs like Tenontosaurus)
Don’t break your jaw trying to pronounce the name, and it simply means “high-spined lizard.” This massive carnivorous dinosaur weighed up to seven tons and roamed North America over 155 million years ago.
Measuring 36 feet in length, the first remains of Acrocanthosaurus were discovered in 1940 in Oklahoma. And over the years, more fossils have been found in Texas, Utah, and Arizona
Arcrocanthosaurus had a high-spine feature, which is a defense mechanism to make it look larger when there is danger and probably regulate its body temperature.
Their feet are tiny for their vast size, which could be because of their climate.
5. Oxalaia Quilombensis
Source by: Atlas Virtual
Type: Theropods
Period: Late Cretaceous period
Size and Weight: 11.9 to 14.5 meters (39 to 46 ft) in length and weighs 5.5 to 7 metric tons (5.5 to 7.7 short tons)
Diet: Carnivores (any source of Meat but likely had preference for animals around water)
This next dinosaur is larger, and it gets better as we go down the list. The Oxalaia Quilombensis dinosaur weighed about 8 tons and mostly lived in water, feeding on fish.
It has a crocodile-like jaw, and with massive weight, it would not be very comforting to be in the water if this creature were alive today.
Source by: GoodFon
There is only so much we know about this dinosaur, and in fact, only a few fossils have been found. The pieces of the bones date back 95 million years ago when this dinosaur was alive.
This dinosaur spent part of its time in the water, munching on fish with its vast, crocodile-like jaws.
Unlike some other sauropods, this dinosaur had a different defense mechanism. When in danger, it sends down a vibration throughout its body by shaking its head and body. Quite peculiar, yeah!
6. Deinocheirus
Source by: Fandom
Type: Theropods
Period: Late Cretaceous period
Size and Weight: 11 to 11.5 meters (36 to 37.7 ft) in length and weighs 6.3 to 6.4 tons
Diet: Omnivorous (plants and small animals, including fish)
The next carnivorous dinosaur on our list is the Deinocheirus. Deinocheirus was also a plant-eater; hence it was Omnivorous.
The Deinocheirus lived roughly 100.5 million years ago. The specimen was first discovered around 1965 when a pair of its limbs were unearthed in the Gobi Desert.
The discovered limbs were about 8 feet in length, and attached to them were its claws of about 8 inches long.
Source by: Darwinsdoor
Fast forward to 2000, scientists had discovered most of its skeleton and had assembled the massive dinosaur. From the discovery, Deinocheirus had a thick sail-like spine that gave it an exciting and unique feature and an enormous bill with razor-sharp teeth.
This dinosaur is considered the longest therapod in history, although not the largest one. Its mouth is small that scientists have concluded that they mostly eat small animals like fish, plants, and even fungi.
It is also believed that instead of reptile skin, its body was covered in feathers, like a bird. It sounds more convincing like this, for it has bird-like qualities rather than reptilian ones.
7. Bahariasaurus
Source by: YouTube
Type: Theropods
Period: Late Cretaceous period
Size and Weight: 11 to 12 metres (36 to 39 ft) in length and weighs 3.9 to 5.4 tons
Diet: Carnivores (insects as well as small animals that existed back then)
First found in Egypt, the Bahariasaurus roamed the earth about 95 million years ago. Earnst Stormer first introduced this dinosaur in 1935 and is a therapod, a kind of dinosaur with three toes on the arms and legs.
It resembles a T-rex but is smaller than one. It can weigh from 4 tons to about nine and a half tons and has a height of 16 feet and 40 feet. Also, it has tiny cropped-up spines that go up to its head and back.
The discovered bones were kept in a Munich museum, which was later destroyed during World War II. Up to this day, there are no new known discoveries of the Bahariasaurus.
8. Tyrannosaurus Rex
Source by: DeviantArt
Type: Theropods
Period: Upper Cretaceous period
Size and Weight: 12.3 to 12.4 m (40.4 to 40.7 ft) in length and weighs 5,000 to 7,000 kilograms (11,000 to 15,500 pounds)
Diet: Carnivores (primarily ate herbivorous dinosaurs, including Edmontosaurus and Triceratops)
The next is the king of dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus Rex. This fearsome carnivorous dinosaur has inspired and featured in many movies up to this day. It is, arguably, the most famous figure in the world of dinos and adventure at large.
The bones were unearthed in 1991 by a group of Canadian researchers, and it was dubbed ” Scotty.”
The specimen is calculated to have weighed nearly 10 tons and measured 42 feet in length.
Source by: Onlydinosaurs
Big Scotty lived 66 million years ago on Canada’s then-subtropical coast and bore a broken rib, infected jaw, and a bite from another T. Rex on its tail.
T.Rex’s place on this list has often been disputed by researchers, with some believing the dinosaur to be the largest of all time.
This meat-eating dinosaur has powerful bite force, deadly and fatal, and can open and stretch its jaw to about 80 degrees wide.
9. Giganotosaurus
Source by: ThoughtCo
Type: Theropods
Period: Late Cretaceous period
Size and Weight: 12 to 13 m (39 to 43 ft) in length and weighs nearly 14 tons
Diet: Carnivores (survived mostly on large herbivore dinosaurs, such as Argentinosaurus)
In fourth place of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs is the 14-tons weighing Giganotosaurus. Until much later, when larger dinosaurs were discovered, Giganotosaurus was thought to be the largest meat-eater dinosaur when it was found in the mid-’90s.
Weighing in at over 14 tons, the first specimen found in Southern Argentina measured 41 feet from head to tail, with its skull over five feet long. A study from 2001 done with a model suggested that Giganotosaurus couldn’t hunt its prey over 31.3 mph or else it would lose its balance. That makes us wonder what would happen if Giganotosaurus vs. T-rex.
Hence, so as long as you’re in your car and not in a school zone when you meet one, you should be fine. But with a massive creature like this, it could still be impossible to outrun it.
10. Carcharodontosaurus Iguidensis
Source by: Jurassic World Evolution
Type: Theropods
Period: Late Cretaceous Epoch
Size and Weight: 10 meters (33 ft) in length and weighs 4 metric tons (4.4 short tons)
Diet: Carnivores (preyed upon the large herbivorous, or plant-eating, sauropods, such as Paralititan)
This is Carcharodontosaurus, a theropod. Measuring up to 45 feet long and weighing over 15 tons, this dinosaur is the 3rd largest carnivorous dinosaur on our list.
Ernst Stromer made this discovery in 1935. It was said to have roamed the land of North Africa 7 to 100 million years ago. Its teeth are serrated like a Great White Sharks, which inspired the name that means “shark-toothed lizard.”
The remains of this carnivorous dinosaur could not be saved during the bombing in World War II, and scientists are still trying to find more remains of this creature to continue studying these enormous beasts that have walked the earth millions of years ago. Although it might sound impossible, we are all on board with getting more information to add to nature’s beautiful discoveries.
11. Carcharodontosaurus Saharicus
Source by: Fandom
Type: Theropods
Period: Late Cretaceous Epoch
Size and Weight: 12 to 13.5 meters (39 to 44 feet) in length and weighs 7.2-8.8 tons
Diet: Carnivores (mostly prey upon other dinosaurs like ornithischians, spinosaurids, and sauropods)
Scientists discovered this gigantic dinosaur in 1924 when two teeth were found in Alegria. They were also identified as a relative of the shark species and have subspecies categories. They are considered to be about 15 tons in weight and have a length of 42 feet.
Just like some other dinosaurs on this list, there is little information about this species, but scientists are trying to dig up more fossils so they can find a match for this dinosaur.
There is hope in studying the species and giving the world more information about this magnificent creature that is the 2nd largest carnivorous dinosaur on the planet.
12. Spinosaurus
Source by: Pixels
Type: Theropods
Period: Late Cretaceous Epoch
Size and Weight: 16 to 18 meters (52 to 59 feet) in length and weighs 7.7 to 9.9 tons
Diet: Carnivores (an aquatic hunter, preyed on the sawfish onhcoprisitis)
The largest carnivorous dinosaur on our list is the Spinosaurus. It is a massive 22 tons and a length of 50 feet. It also has 7-foot-long spines that grew from its back that developed into an enormous fin. It is also on the list of Titanosaurs: Top 15 Biggest Dinosaurs of the World and Top 15 Coolest Dinosaurs to Ever Lived on Earth.
Paleontologist Ernst Stromer described this gigantic creature as the “spined lizard” and was believed to be the first-ever dinosaur to learn how to swim. You can click the blog Top 8 Swimming & Water Dinosaurs to know more about this.
It lived and thrived in North American swamps 97 million years ago. Its primary source of food is fish.
Source by: YouTube
This large carnivore spends a lot of its time in the water rather than on land, but there are still speculations of whether this dinosaur is the largest meat-eating dinosaur ever to live.
All they can do is keep their head above water as they paddle with their arms and legs. The enormous fin on their back is an added support not to be exhausted while swimming since they weigh too much.
Up to this day, the debate on whether they are crocodilian, amphibious, or aquatic has not ended yet. Many unanswered questions and different theories provide additional facts about the largest carnivorous dinosaur on the planet.
Conclusion
Source by: Onlydinosaurs
We hope, with time and continued research, more facts will surface. While we wait on that, that’s a wrap on the list of the largest meat-eating dinosaurs.
It would be so terrifying if these fearsome creatures were still alive today. And with just 12 dinosaurs on our list, and hundreds of dinosaurs not mentioned here, it shows the world has indeed witnessed some wonders.
While you’re still here, do well to check out animatronic dinosaurs of all the dinosaurs discussed and many more. You might find one that interests you!!!
More questions you may be curious about:
- What is the strongest meat-eating dinosaur?
Spinosaurus was the biggest of all the carnivorous dinosaurs, larger than Tyrannosaurus and Giganotosaurus.
- Who would win in a fight Spinosaurus or Giganotosaurus?
In any sort of aquatic or partially aquatic space, the Spinosaurus might have the advantage because of its superior mobility. However, in most land-based scenarios, Giganotosaurus would likely have the upper hand.
- What kinds of meat-eating dinosaurs with horns?
Carnotaurus is the only known carnivorous bipedal animal with a pair of horns on the frontal bone.
Learning More About Dinosaur
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This Post Has One Comment
T Rex will always be number one in my book except for his or her lineage no other dinosaur head teeth that big