Millions of years before the Tyrannosaurus rex roamed the Earth, another group of gigantic meat-eating dinosaurs reigned supreme in the Early to Mid-Cretaceous period.
The theropod, known as the Carcharodontosaurus, reached a truly enormous size, some growing even bigger than the icon of the Jurassic Park series.
Blade-Like Teeth of the Carcharodontosaurus
These enormous predators were amongst the largest to ever walk the Earth. They roamed North Africa around 99 million years to 94 million years ago, and Carcharodontosaurus measured around 12 meters in length, around the same as T. rex, andweighed an estimated six tons.
As well as its characteristic serrated, blade-like teeth, a study published in 2022 suggests it had a weaker bite force than T. rex, pointing to a particular hunting style. It’s thought these teeth were used to slash through and tear flesh, rather than crunch down with a bone-breaking strike.
