Fun Rugops Facts For Kids

Most dinosaurs are named after their physical features, and so are the Rugops. This name is derived from the numerous imprints in the skull bone left by enormous blood vessels that formerly flowed over the bone surface, giving it a wrinkled look. Unlike many other carnivores, we see the Rugops having a history of eating carcasses, or dead meat. This is because most other carnivores in history prefer to be eating fresh meat only, and eating dead meat or leftovers is something only scavengers did. However, the Rugops had been assumed to eat both types of meat, leaving scientists with a lot of questions about its dietary lifestyle.

There is much to know and learn about with this interesting animal, but this is not the only member of the dinosaur species! There are several hundreds of other interesting and unique animals around, such as the Ichthyovenator and Homalocephale for you to know about! So do not forget to read on, and do share it with your friends!

How do you pronounce 'Rugops'?

The word Rugops is pronounced at 'Roo-gops'.

What type of dinosaur was a Rugops?

Rugops (means 'wrinkle face') was an abelisaurid genus theropod that lived 95 million years ago in what is now Africa (Morocco and Niger).

In which geological period did the Rugops roam the earth?

Rugops primus existed roughly 95 million years ago in Niger (Africa), during the Cenomanian era of the Late Cretaceous.

When did the Rugops become extinct?

Between 100.5-93.9 million years ago, the Cenomanian epoch existed. Therefore, this theropod was supposed to have gone extinct towards the end of the Cenomanian period. This makes it one of the older dinosaurs to have lived in the world.

Where did a Rugops live?

Rugops dinosaur was a carnivore. It lived in the Cretaceous era and inhabited Africa. Rugops skeleton has been located in places like Tahous (Niger). This is the only location around which scientists have discovered the remains of this creature, leading us to believe that they were endemic to Niger.

What was a Rugops' habitat?

These Rugops dinosaurs (theropods of Africa) that Paul Sereno recognized preferred terrestrial habitat.

Who did a Rugops live with?

Paleontologists have discovered only one fossil of these carnivorous Abelisauridae species, implying that they lived alone.

How long did a Rugops live?

Due to a lack of skeletons for the Rugops, owning special facial features, it is impossible to pinpoint a specific lifespan based on the lonely skeleton we have.

How did they reproduce?

Rugops, nearly related to the Majungasaurus, were oviparous and reproduced by depositing eggs, just like other dinosaurs.

What did a Rugops look like?

These extra blood vessels are likely to have been added to deliver more oxygenated blood to theropod's unique facial display features, which have yet to be observed in any other theropod. Rugops might have flushed blood into the tissues of its snout for a bright color show if these blood vessels had provided for a quick supply of blood. Rugops could also have had some form of armor coating over its face.‭

The Rugops skull length was about 1 ft (0.30 m). The team led by Paul Sereno discovered the remains said that it's not the type of head designed for bone-crushing or fighting, suggesting that this may have been a scavenger. The top of the skull features two rows underlying seven holes, each with an unknown purpose; however, Paul Sereno speculates that they may have supported a display crest or spikes due to the existence of blood vessels grooves making a conduit into these pits. Rugops, like the other abelisaurids genus, had very short or perhaps withered arms. These were presumably worthless in fighting and were likely only used to support the dinosaur's skull.

How many bones did a Rugops have?

To date, only one skeleton has been discovered for this specimen. The Rugops skelatel is not a complete one, with just a partial skull and a left maxilla. Since there is no accountability for the complete skeleton of these cretaceous dinosaurs that breathed 95 million years ago and were named by Paul Sereno, it is impossible to deduce how many bones they had.

How did they communicate?

Because of a dearth of research, it is unknown how these dinosaurs interact with one another. However, since they are somewhat smallish predators compared to others, it can be safely assumed that they travelled in groups and definitely had a system of communication amongst themselves.

How big was a Rugops?

The Rugops size (length) was between 14-17 ft (4.2-5.1 m). When we study Paleontology, we find some fascinating comparisons, such as the Rugops vs Spinosaurus, Rugops vs Carnotaurus, and Albertosaurus vs Rugops.

How fast could a Rugops move?

Scientists believe that these theropods of Africa were swift and agile and ferocious warriors in comparison to their close relatives. Despite this, Rugops' speed was measured at approximately 15 mph (24.1 kph). As predators, it was important that they be on top speed, since they did not have the advantage of size or strength.

How much did a Rugops weigh?

It distinguishes apart not only because of its short name and size but also because of its anatomy, particularly Rugops jaw structure, in comparison to its relatives. The average weight of these dinosaurs was about 900 lb (408.2 kg). Rugops height was measured up to 6 ft (1.8 m). The Rugops' weight was first estimated at 1,650 lb (748.4 kg) based on comparisons with its cousins.

What were the male and female names of the species?

There are no particular titles for the male and female species indominus rex of Jurassic World. However, it is known that their discovery was a key breakthrough in research into carnivorous dinosaurs all across the world.

What would you call a baby Rugops?

The newborn Rugops, who had unknown features linked with the head, were given no names. This may be also because there is no existing record of a young Rugops. The specimens discovered have been all marked as adults, and no young of the species survived.

What did they eat?

Rugops had a fragile head, indicating that its diet consisted primarily of carcasses and tiny animals. They are smaller than the average predators, which is why it is not possible for them to hunt larger animals. Most herbivores are very huge in size, which further complicates things for these small predators.

How aggressive were they?

This theropod, which related to bipedal dinosaurs, was a typical meat-eating, ferociously aggressive carnivore that had to fight other creatures for its sustenance. Like many other carnivores, it stands to reason that they, too, are some of the more dangerous and aggressive creatures around.

Did you know...

The discovery of Rugops skull in Niger was a watershed moment in our knowledge of theropods development in that region, demonstrating that this continent was still connected to Gondwana at that step in history. Spinosaurus, Deltadromeus, and Carcharodontosaurus all lived in the same area throughout the same geological time period. In addition, it coexisted with Ouranosaurus, Paralititan, and other Cretaceous North Africans.

Was the Rugops a scavenger?

Rugops was discovered with an almost complete skull. The feeble skull suggests that this was a scavenger rather than an attacking dinosaur as Tyrannosaurus. Rows of holes in the skull could suggest the presence of a crest. Rugops jiger was preserved in sedimentary rocks, and Rugops bite force was not strong due to weak jaws.

Rugops is the first of the series' abelisaurs. It also appeared on the BBC's Planet Dinosaur, where this was shown as a native-born scavenger. Its DNA was used to help create the Indominus Rex  (Jurassic World) by attaching neck armor. This dinosaur was among the side characters in Ricardo Delgado's Age of Reptiles: Ancient Egyptians mini-drama.

Why did the Rugops have super small arms?

Rugops primus (the name suggests wrinkle face) tiny arms have long been a source of mystery. Scientists have speculated that they may have been employed to clasp frightened prey, assist resting dinosaurs in pushing themselves up from the ground, or grip mates tightly during mating.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these Sauropelta facts, or Orodromeus facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Rugops coloring pages.

Second image by Retlaw095.