Carcharodontosauria

Carcharodontosauria is a clade of large carnivorous theropod dinosaurs that lived from the Middle Jurassic to the Late Cretaceous. The group is named after Carcharodontosaurus, one of its best-known members, and the name means "shark-toothed lizard." Fossils have been found in Africa, South America, North America, Europe, and Asia, indicating a wide geographic distribution during its long span.

The clade includes the allosauroid family Carcharodontosauridae, which contains some of the largest predatory dinosaurs known. Notable members include Carcharodontosaurus saharicus, Giganotosaurus carolinii, Mapusaurus roseae, Tyrannotitan chubutensis, and Acrocanthosaurus atokensis. Some analyses recognize additional basal forms within related lineages, reflecting ongoing evolutionary revisions within theropod relationships.

Anatomically, carcharodontosaurians were characterized by their large skulls with sharp, serrated teeth and robust skeletons. They ranged in size, with specimens estimated from around 9 to over 12 meters in length and masses of several tons for the largest species. Their limb proportions and dental adaptations supported active predation on sizeable herbivores.

Ecology and biogeography: these dinosaurs were apex predators in diverse ecosystems, inhabiting environments from river basins to floodplains. Their temporal and geographic spread overlaps with other large theropods, and their presence helps illuminate the dynamics of predation and competition in Jurassic and Cretaceous ecosystems.

Taxonomy and evolution: as a group, Carcharodontosauria has seen revisions in its internal structure and relationships to other allosauroids. Ongoing research continues to refine the boundaries of Carcharodontosauridae and the placement of various genera within the clade.