Abelisaurus

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Abelisaurus

ZooTek Phoenix

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Author: Moondawg

Keywords: Extinct animals, dinosaurs

Release Date: Jan 11 2009

Current AbelisaurusMD_2009.ztd dated 5 January 2009

File Size: 13.05mb

Compatibility: DD and CC

Description: Abelisaurus ("Abel's lizard") is a genus of abelisaurid theropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Period of what is now South America.
The generic name recognizes Roberto Abel as the discoverer of the specimen and former director of the provincial Museum of Cipolletti in Argentina, where the specimen is housed. It also incorporates the Greek sauros, meaning 'lizard'. There is one named species, A. comahuensis, which honors the Comahue region of Argentina, where the fossil was found. Both genus and species were named and described by Argentine paleontologists Jose Bonaparte and Fernando Novas in 1985, who placed it in the newly-created family Abelisauridae.

Many other abelisaurids have since been discovered, including extremely complete specimens of Aucasaurus, Carnotaurus and Majungasaurus. Some scientists place Abelisaurus as a basal abelisaurid, outside the subfamily Carnotaurinae. Others are less certain of its position.Abelisaurids share some skull features with the unrelated carcharodontosaurids and, since Abelisaurus is known only from a skull, future discoveries may show that this genus was in fact a carcharodontosaurid. However, this is thought unlikely.

The one known fossil skull of Abelisaurus is incomplete, especially on the right side. It is also missing most of the palate (roof of the mouth). Despite the missing pieces, it is over 85 centimeters (33 inches) long. Although there are no bony crests or horns, like those found in some other abelisaurids, such as Carnotaurus, rough ridges on the snout and above the eyes might have supported some kind of crest made out of keratin, which wouldn't have become fossilized. There are also very large fenestrae (window-like openings) in the skull, which are found in many dinosaurs and reduce skull weight

Abelisaurus is one of the many dinosaurs that have been discovered in Patagonia. It was originally described as coming from the Allen Formation but subsequent research proved the remains were actually found in the older Anacleto Formation (part of the Neuquén Group) of Rio Negro Province, Argentina. The Anacleto is a geologic formation in South America, dating from the early Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous Period, between 83 and 80 million years ago.

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Additional info:

AbelisaurusMD_2009.ztd                                    uca: DB03F057 dated 5 January 2009

Results From Configuration Checking:

DB03F057.uca date: Mon Jan 05 21:15:24 2009
No Errors or Warnings to show.
Animal Type: DB03F057

Abelisaurus

The generic name recognizes Roberto Abel as the discoverer of the specimen and
former director of the provincial Museum of Cipolletti in Argentina, where the
specimen is housed. It also incorporates the Greek sauros, meaning 'lizard'.
There is one named species, A. comahuensis, which honors the Comahue region of
Argentina, where the fossil was found. Both genus and species were named and
described by Argentine paleontologists Jose Bonaparte and Fernando Novas in
1985, who placed it in the newly-created family Abelisauridae.
    (plus 3 other paragraphs)

Animal Characteristics:

Habitat: Coniferous Forest; Location: South America; Era: Cretaceous
Minimum happiness needed for chance of breeding: 99.
Animal can jump.
Animal can climb cliffs.
Cannot be used in original Zoo Tycoon: cKeeperFoodType (7) is not 0 to 5.

Exhibit Preferences:

Foliage:
Lodgepole Pine Tree, Fir Tree, Pine Tree, Yew Tree, Spruce Tree
Yellow Cedar Tree, Western Red Cedar Tree, Chinese Fir Tree, Broadleaf Bush
Pine Bush, Club Moss Shrub (DD), Walchian Conifer Tree (DD)
Dawn Redwood Tree (DD), Lepidodendron Tree (DD)
Norfolk Island Pine Tree (DD)

Rocks:
Large Rock, Large Rock - 1, Large Rock - 2, Large Rock - 3, Large Rock - 4
Small Rock - Medium, Small Rock - Small, Small Rock - 7, Small Rock - 8
Small Rock - 9, Coniferous Forest Rock - Formation
Medium Coniferous Rock (DD)

Exhibit Construction:

Number of animals allowed per exhibit: 1-1 with 100 squares for each adult.

Exhibit size (for 1 adults): 100 grid squares

Terrain (for exhibit with 100 grid squares):
70 Coniferous Floor, 10 Rainforest Floor, 5 Fresh Water, 15 Grass

Foliage (for exhibit with 100 grid squares):
5 grid squares should contain foliage.
Foliage that would give the most happiness: Norfolk Island Pine Tree (DD)
Since this is a small plant, greatest happiness will occur
if each of the 5 grid squares contains 4 of this plant.

Rocks (for exhibit with 100 grid squares):
12 Small Rock - Small, which is its most liked rock.

Elevation: Of the 100 squares, 3 nonadjacent squares should be elevated.