Ekrixinatosaurus

*Ekrixinatosaurus novasi*

Ekrixinatosaurus (meaning "explosion-born lizard") was a large carnivorous dinosaur from South America, as it was thought to be the biggest abelisaurid known to date. Reaching lengths of up to 9 to 10 meters. In research, it showed it was the largest abelisaur but a research in 2016 showed that it averaged at 7.4 meters, but the recent estimations concluded much larger size; as large as 11 meters long (probably an estimate). The previous largest Carnotaurus to average at 7.8 meters. So far, the crown of the largest abelisaur belongs to Pycnonemosaurus (around 9 meters long). This large theropod was named when its remains were unearthed during an explosion. Only one species is currently recognized, *Ekrixinatosaurus novasi*, from which the specific name honors of Dr. Fernando Novas for his contributions to the study of abelisaurid theropods.

## Discovery and naming

The type species, *Ekrixinatosaurus novasi*, was first described in 2004 by Argentinian paleontologist Jorge Calvo, and Chilean paleontologists David Rubilar-Rogers and Karen Moreno. The fossils were found dispersed over an area of 15m2 in the Candeleros Formation, a geologic formation that outcrops in Río Negro, Neuquén, and Mendoza provinces of Argentina. This formation dates from 100-97 mya., and consists of red beds where other famous vertebrate animals have been discovered, such as *Giganotosaurus*, *Rebbachisaurus*, and *Andesaurus*. The discovery occurred due to excavations for building a gas pipeline conducted by Gasoducto del Pacífico Company in Bajo del Añelo.

Before the discovery of *Ekrixinatosaurus*, *Carnotaurus sastrei* and *Aucasaurus garridoi* were the most complete specimens of the abelisauridae family. The remains of *Ekrixinatosaurus* helped fill in more information about abelisaur anatomy as it contained portions of the skeleton that were previously unknown, unpublished, or poorly preserved in other specimens. The holotype skeleton (MUCPv-294) was well preserved yet disarticulated. It contained elements including a left and partial right maxillae; basicranium; both dentaries; teeth; cervical, a dorsal, sacral and caudal vertebrae; haemal arches; ribs; ilia, pubis and proximal ischia; left and distal end of right femur; left tibia; left astragalus and calcaneum; proximal end of left fibula and right tibia; metatarsals; phalanges; and a pedal ungual.

## Description

*Ekrixinatosaurus novasi* is a large abelisaurid with a relatively large head and robust limbs. The combination of characteristics including a large skull, prominent supraorbital ridge above the dorsal aspect of the orbit, anteroposteriorly compressed cervical vertebrae, and robust, proportionally short hindlimbs with a tibia shorter than femur suggests that this was a massive animal with a great capacity to sustain injuries during intraspecific or interspecific combat. The only known specimen was previously estimated between 7–8 m (23–26 ft) in length, and some suggested that this specimen actually represented the largest abelisaurid yet known at 10–11 m (33–36 ft) in length, surpassing the type of *Carnotaurus*.[3] However, it was later noted by other researchers that this estimate was based only on the absolute size of the skull, ignoring that limb bone comparisons clearly show *Carnotaurus* was larger, thus *Carnotaurus* was larger than *Ekrixinatosaurus* but with a proportionally smaller head. Most recently, a 2016 study again found it to be smaller (7.4 m) than *Carnotaurus* (7.8 m).

### Skull

The skull of *Ekrixinatosaurus* was boxy and proportionally shorter and deeper than most other large carnivorous dinosaurs. The jaws also curved upwards, a trait shared with some other abelisaurs. The skull is estimated to be approximately 83cm long based on comparisons with *Carnotaurus* and *Majungasaurus*, and while *Abelisaurus* does not have a complete maxilla its preserved size is similar to that of *Ekrixinatosaurus*. As in other abelisaurids, the facial bones, especially the nasal bones, were sculptured with numerous small holes and spikes. In life, a wrinkled and possibly keratinous skin would have covered these bones. The maxillia was short and contained 16 alveoli, some with short teeth that were flattened laterally with anterior and posterior serrations. The maxilla of *Ekrixinatosaurus* also exhibits a dorsally projected ascending ramus and a short rostral ramus, suggesting a relatively high skull.

## Classification

In 2004, *Ekrixinatosaurus* was placed in the Abelisauridae. The article by Calvo et al. in 2004, also contained a preliminary cladistic analysis of the phylogenetic relationships between *Ekrixinatosaurus* and those abelisaurids of which at the time relatively complete skeletons were known, finding it to be more closely related to Carnotaurini than to *Ceratosaurus*.

In 2008, a study recovered it as the sister species of *Skorpiovenator*.

## Paleoecology

*Ekrixinatosaurus* was found in the fossil beds of the Candeleros Formation, which has yielded a wide variety of vertebrates. It shared its environment with the titanosaurian sauropod *Andesaurus* and the rebbachisaurid sauropods *Limaysaurus* and *Nopcsaspondylus*. Iguanodont ornithischian remains have reportedly also been found. The carcharodontosaurid *Giganotosaurus* was possibly the apex predator of the region and may have competed with *Ekrixinatosaurus* for food. Smaller predators also inhabited the area, including the dromaeosaurid *Buitreraptor*, the alvarezsaurid *Alnashetri*, and the basal coelurosaurian *Bicentenaria*. Other primitive reptiles lived in the area, such as the primitive snake *Najash*, the crocodile *Araripesuchus*, along with turtles, fish, pipid frogs, and mammals. Pterosaurs also lived in the area, as evidenced by pterosaur tracks. A wide variety of dinosaur trackways have also been found in the Candeleros Formation, suggesting significant faunal activity in the area.

Recent studies on Gondwanan theropods have interpreted abelisaurids as modest and medium sized dinosaurs that co-occurred with giant carcharodontosaurids during the Early and early Late Cretaceous. It has been hypothesized that it was only after extinction of the carcharodontosaurids that abelisaurids were able to diversify into more robust forms that occupied the niche of top predators of their ecosystems. However, it has been observed that both *Giganotosaurus* and *Ekrixinatosaurus* were among the largest of their respective clades yet existed at the same time, which refutes this hypothesis. Both these animals occupied the role of the largest carnivores, however it is uncertain whether they played different ecological roles (such as active predation vs. scavenging), or lived in different habitats and preyed on different animals. In addition, the known distribution of abelisaurids in South America, Madagascar and India brings the hypothesis of a dispersion route between these areas by a terrestrial bridge called the Kerguelen Plateau that formed prior to the separation of Africa and South America.

## Appearance in other media

### *Jurassic Park*

* Ekrixinatosaurus appeared in the Jurassic World toys.