
Dinosaur profile
Acrocanthosaurus
Acrocanthosaurus atokensis
Pronunciation
ah-kroh-kan-tho-SORE-us
high-spined lizard
Large Theropod
12 Meters
Early Cretaceous
115 - 105 million years ago
Canada, USA
DietCarnivore
About Acrocanthosaurus
Acrocanthosaurus is a genus of theropod dinosaur that lived during the Early Cretaceous Period, about 112-110 million years ago. It was a large, predatory dinosaur, with an estimated length of about 43 feet and a weight of about 5-6 tons. Acrocanthosaurus had a long, narrow skull with sharp teeth, and a pair of long, curved spines on its back, which may have been used for display or to support a fleshy crest. It also had powerful, muscular legs with large claws, which it probably used for hunting and climbing.
Acrocanthosaurus was discovered in the United States in the 1950s, and was named by paleontologists in 1950. It is considered a member of the allosauroid group of theropod dinosaurs, which also includes species such as Allosaurus and Carcharodontosaurus. Acrocanthosaurus is known from a number of well-preserved fossil specimens, including several partial skeletons and skulls, which have helped paleontologists learn more about the anatomy and behavior of this dinosaur.
Wikipedia image gallery
Extra reference images from Wikimedia projects. These are loaded live in your browser.
More Early Cretaceous profiles
Explore related dinosaurs with similar diet, type, period, or fossil location to Acrocanthosaurus.





