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| Creature information | |
| Scientific name : | Ceratosaurus nasicornis |
| Time period : | Late Jurassic |
| Primary diet : | Carnivore |
| In the documentary | |
| Fatalities caused : | One Dryosaurus |
Ceratosaurus was a medium-sized predatory dinosaur from the Late Jurassic Period, found in the Morrison Formation of North America, and the Lourinhã Formation of Portugal and Tendaguru Formation of Tanzania. It was characterized by large jaws with blade-like teeth, a large, blade-like horn on the snout and a pair of hornlets over the eyes. The forelimbs were powerfully built but very short. The bones of the sacrum were fused (synsacrum) and the pelvic bones were fused together and to this structure (Sereno 1997) (i.e. similar to modern birds). A row of small osteoderms was present down the middle of the back.
In When Dinosaurs Roamed America[]
Late Jurassic segment[]
Ceratosaurus vs Stegosaurus
In the late Jurassic segment, a mother Dryosaurus and her two offspring look for water, but fail to find any. Little do they know, they are being watched by a hungry Ceratosaurus. Suddenly, the carnivore rushes out of its hiding place and attacks the Dryosaurus. After a chase, the Ceratosaurus successfully catches the slowest youngster. The remaining Dryosaurus hide under a Camarasaurus while the Ceratosaurus eats its prey whole.
Later, a male Stegosaurus meets a female and tries to show off. However, the Ceratosaurus from earlier approaches the pair, intending to attack the male Stegosaurus. Roaring loudly, it charges at the male, but the herbivore uses its thagomizer to knock the Ceratosaurus off its feet. The Ceratosaurus then walks off in defeat.
As the wet season begins and the herd of Apatosaurus settles in the region, the Ceratosaurus once again ambushes and attacks the two remaining Dryosaurus. During the chase, however, a much larger Allosaurus (which had also arrived at the beginning of the wet season) surprises and kills the unsuspecting Ceratosaurus.
Trivia[]
- Ceratosaurus is often depicted as both the jaguar and leopard of the Jurassic, which makes its rival, Allosaurus, both the lion and tiger of the Jurassic.
Errors[]
- Ceratosaurus's hands couldn't pivot without breaking them.
- John Goodman The narrator describes Ceratosaurus as being the last of its kind, while, in real life, it was among the most primitive members of its family, and one of the Ceratosauridae dinosaur, Genyodectes, lived during Early Cretaceous period.