Illustrating Carnotaurus

Yesterday, we featured a drawing of a Smilodon which was inspired by the Papo Smilodon (Sabre-toothed cat) model.  Today, we feature another prehistoric animal illustration inspired by a Papo figure, but from a different artist.  Ian very kindly sent into us a pencil sketch of the Papo Carnotaurus dinosaur model and what a splendid illustration it is!  It is a super Carnotaurus drawing.

A Carnotaurus Drawing

Illustrating a Carnotaurus

Picture credit: Ian

Visit the award-winning Everything Dinosaur website for more creative ideas: Everything Dinosaur.

A Late Cretaceous Hunter

Carnotaurus (C. sastrei), was a very bizarre and atypical carnivorous dinosaur.  It is known from a single, well-preserved specimen from Upper Cretaceous strata (Argentina).  Measuring around eight metres in length, this meat-eater was relatively lightly built, with a slender jaw, bull-like horns above its eyes and proportionately long legs. 

At the time of its scientific description by the Argentinian palaeontologist José Bonaparte, very little was known about the enigmatic Abelisauridae, however, something like twenty abelisaurids have been named and described to date.  Although Carnotaurus was one of the first abelisaurids to be named, it is not a very good representative of the group.  The skull is extremely short and blunt and it has very different proportions when compared to the skulls of other abelisaurids.  It has been suggested that Carnotaurus was a very specialised hunter attacking small, fast-running (cursorial) dinosaurs.

Ian’s illustration has been heavily influenced by the Papo Carnotaurus dinosaur model (see below), can you see the resemblance?

The Papo Carnotaurus Dinosaur Model

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

See the Papo prehistoric animal model range: Papo Dinosaur Models.

Our thanks once again to Ian for sending in such a splendid illustration, of what is one of the most peculiar of all the theropod dinosaurs described to date.