Allosaurus was a large theropod dinosaur. An unusually large number of fossil specimens makes the Allosaurus one of the best studied dinosaurs of all time. Its name means "different lizard".Notable features of the Allosaurus are a very strong skull and the ability to open its jaws extremely wide. It had a relatively weak bite force, unlike the largest theropods.
Discovery
The first incomplete Allosaurus fossils were discovered in 1869. Major operations in the 1960s then uncovered over 45 specimens at the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry.
Paleoecology
The Morrison Formation is a semiarid flat floodplain. Life would have been supported by river-lining ferns and conifer forests throughout both wet and dry seasons. Allosaurus existed at the same time as other large theropods, each appearing to fill a different ecological niche.
