carcharodontosaurian

Carcharodontosaurian refers to a superfamily of theropod dinosaurs that lived during the Cretaceous period. These were large, carnivorous dinosaurs, often rivaling tyrannosaurs in size. The name "Carcharodontosaurian" translates to "shark-toothed lizards," a reference to their distinctive, blade-like teeth, which were serrated and adapted for slicing through flesh.

Key members of this group include Carcharodontosaurus itself, Giganotosaurus, and Mapusaurus. These dinosaurs are primarily known from fossils found in Africa, South America, and North America. They occupied apex predator niches in their respective ecosystems. Their skulls were generally long and narrow, and while powerful, they were often more lightly built than those of tyrannosaurs.

Carcharodontosaurians possessed strong hind limbs for locomotion and relatively short, two-fingered forelimbs. Their exact evolutionary relationships and the full diversity of the group are still subjects of ongoing research as new fossil discoveries are made. They represent a significant lineage of large predatory dinosaurs that co-existed with other iconic Cretaceous fauna.