This allosaurus is part of the welcome sign for visitors to Dinosaur Ridge.
"Allosaurus is a genus of large theropod dinosaur that lived 155 to 150 million years ago during the late Jurassic period (Kimmeridgian to early Tithonian). The name Allosaurus means "different lizard". It is derived from the Greek allos ("different, other") and sauros ("lizard"). The first remains that can definitely be ascribed to this genus were described in 1877 by paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh. As one of the first well-known theropod dinosaurs, it has long attracted attention outside of paleontological circles. Indeed, it has been a top feature in several films and documentaries about prehistoric life.
Allosaurus was a large bipedal predator. Its skull was large and equipped with dozens of large, sharp teeth. It averaged 8.5 m (28 ft) in length, though fragmentary remains suggest it could have reached over 12 m (39 ft). Relative to the large and powerful hindlimbs, its three-fingered forelimbs were small, and the body was balanced by a long, heavy tail. It is classified as an allosaurid, a type of carnosaurian theropod dinosaur. The genus has a complicated taxonomy, and includes an uncertain number of valid species, the best known of which is A. fragilis. The bulk of Allosaurus remains have come from North America's Morrison Formation, with material also known from Portugal and possibly Tanzania. It was known for over half of the 20th century as Antrodemus, but study of the copious remains from the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry brought the name Allosaurus back to prominence, and established it as one of the best-known dinosaurs.
As the most abundant large predator in the Morrison Formation, Allosaurus was at the top of the food chain, probably preying on contemporaneous large herbivorous dinosaurs and perhaps even other predators (e.g. Ceratosaurus). Potential prey included ornithopods, stegosaurids, and sauropods. Some paleontologists interpret Allosaurus as having had cooperative social behavior, and hunting in packs, while others believe individuals may have been aggressive toward each other, and that congregations of this genus are the result of lone individuals feeding on the same carcasses. It may have attacked large prey by ambush, using its upper jaw like a hatchet." (from (
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"Dinosaur Ridge is one of the world's most famous dinosaur fossil localities. In 1877, some of the best-known dinosaurs were first discovered by Arthur Lakes, a professor at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden. These included Apatosaurus, Stegosaurus, the Colorado State Fossil; and Allosaurus. These specimens represent animals that lived 150 million years ago in the Late Jurassic Period, also known as the "Age of Giants".
These discoveries sparked a historic dinosaur "gold rush" that traced the bone-bearing strata, known as the Morrison Formation (named after the Town of Morrison to the south), across a large part of the Rocky Mountain region. This "Golden Age" of 19th century dinosaur exploration led to the discovery of many other important sites in the West. The dozens of successful excavations at Dinosaur Ridge and at these other locations stocked many of the world's museums and brought dinosaurs to public attention. " (from (
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