Carcharodontosaurus: The T. rex of Africa
- lapidartlincoln
- Oct 15
- 2 min read
Before we even get into more about this species of dinosaur lets tackle the name - Carcharodontosaurus - well isn’t that a mouthful, here is how to pronounce it correctly
CAR - CAR - ROW - DON - TOE - SAURUS
Now we’ve got that out of the way…
If you think Tyrannosaurus rex was the only king of the dinosaurs, meet Carcharodontosaurus, a true giant that once prowled the ancient landscapes of northern Africa. Living during the Late Cretaceous period, around 100 to 93 million years ago, this massive predator reached lengths of up to 45 feet, rivalling the T. rex in size. Carcharodontosaurus lived in what is now the Sahara Desert, though back then it was a lush, river-filled region teeming with fish, crocodiles and other dinosaurs. For about 7 million years, this “shark-toothed lizard” dominated its ecosystem as one of the top land predators of its time.
What made Carcharodontosaurus truly fearsome were its teeth, long, serrated and razor-sharp, resembling those of a shark. Hence where the name Carcharodontosaurus came from, Carcharodon is a genus of sharks with the name describing ‘sharp tooth’, this genus of sharks includes great white sharks. These blade-like teeth, some over 8 inches long, were built for slicing through flesh rather than crushing bone, allowing it to tear massive chunks from its prey.
Often called the T. rex of Africa, the Carcharodontosaurus holds a special place among the great carnivores of the dinosaur age. While T. rex ruled North America millions of years later, Carcharodontosaurus reigned supreme in its own corner of the world long before. The comparison between the two is fascinating, both were apex predators, both enormous, but each adapted to different prey and hunting styles. If T. rex was the bone-breaking powerhouse, Carcharodontosaurus was the sleek, slicing hunter. What a deadly reminder that the age of dinosaurs had more than one king!
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