Ceratosaurus

Ceratosaurus (name meaning "Horn Lizard") is a genus of theropod dinosaur that originated during the Middle Jurassic period in what is now North America, South America, Europe, and Africa. Measuring 6 meters long and weighing almost 2 tons, this middle-sized carnivore is distinguished by a bladed horn on its snout.

In the Series 1 episode "Survival of the Biggest", a pair of Ceratosaurus were chasing the Herbivores in North America of 150 million years ago and lived for their lifes.

Era & Discovery
Ceratosaurus lived in North America, South America, Europe, and Africa during the Middle to Late Jurassic period from 176 – 145 million years ago. It shared its environment with dinosaurs and other creatures such as Dilophosaurus, Anurognathus, Apatosaurus, Camarasaurus, Stegosaurus, Dryosaurus, and its competitor Allosaurus. By the Late Jurassic, Ceratosaurus became the last of its kind.

The first specimen of Ceratosaurus was discovered and excavated by farmer Marshall Parker Felch in 1883 and 1884.

Physical Attributes
Compared to other theropod dinosaurs, such as Allosaurus and Tyrannosaurus rex, Ceratosaurus was smaller. They stood 6 – 13 feet (1.8 – 4 m) tall, measured 20 – 23 feet (6 – 7 m) in length, and weighed 1.5 – 2 tons (3,000 – 4,000 lbs.) However, one colossal specimen was discovered to stand 18 feet (5.55 m) tall, measured 29 feet (9 m) long, and weighed 2.5 tons (5,000 lbs.)

It is characterized by large jaws with blade-like teeth, the pair of horns over the eyes, and a large, blade-like horn on the snout. The forelimbs were powerfully built but very short and it had four fingers on its hands. Despite its fairly large size, Ceratosaurus was also relatively a fast and agile dinosaur; its legs were long, which allowed it to run at incredible speeds of 35 mph and, due to its size and skeleton, Ceratosaurus was capable of jumping nearly 20 feet in the air.

Additionally, Ceratosaurus had two different sets of teeth within its deep jaws. While its lower teeth were a little stub, however, relatively sharp and devastating, its upper teeth were proportionally very long and shaped exactly like the blade of a knife.

Behavior & Traits
Like some theropod dinosaurs, Ceratosaurus hunted in pairs as opposed to packs. However, Ceratosaurus did get together in groups during mating season. The single horn on its snout was for display rather than defense. During mating season, they would show off their horns to attract mates. When alone, Ceratosaurus would hunt smaller prey, such as Dryosaurus. However, hunting in pairs would allow it to have a better chance against other larger herbivores, such as Stegosaurus and even small sauropods.

Despite its small size in comparison to other larger theropod dinosaurs, Ceratosaurus was nevertheless a dangerous, aggressive, and vicious theropod dinosaur for its time. During the Late Jurassic, Ceratosaurus was often in fights with Allosaurus for circumstances such as defending a kill or territory.