Rugops

What it was like

Rugops was a mid-sized abelisaurid carnivore, growing to around 7 meters (23 feet) long. Its skull, the only part of the skeleton known, had a short, boxy shape typical of abelisaurids, along with rows of small pits across its surface.

Those pits likely held blood vessels feeding scales or a thin covering of skin, rather than muscle for a powerful bite, suggesting Rugops relied less on jaw strength than some of its relatives. The front of its snout also shows signs of a tough, armor-like covering.

Its world

Rugops lived from about 101 to 94 million years ago, in the Late Cretaceous, in what is now Niger. Its remains come from the Echkar Formation.

It shared its world with some of the largest predators ever known, including Spinosaurus and Carcharodontosaurus, as well as the disputed Bahariasaurus and the plant-eating Aegyptosaurus.

How it was found

Sereno and colleagues named Rugops in 2004, giving it the species name Rugops primus, based on a single partial skull. Its relatives include Carnotaurus, Majungasaurus, and Abelisaurus, and its short snout and light build are considered typical of early abelisaurids.