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''Acrocanthosaurus'' ( ; meaning "high-spined lizard") is a genus of theropod dinosaur that existed in what is now North America during the Aptian and early Albian stages of the Early Cretaceous. Like most dinosaur genera, ''Acrocanthosaurus'' contains only a single species, ''A. atokensis''. Its fossil remains are found mainly in the U.S. states of Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming, although teeth attributed to ''Acrocanthosaurus'' have been found as far east as Maryland. ''Acrocanthosaurus'' was a bipedal predator. As the name suggests, it is best known for the high neural spines on many of its vertebrae, which most likely supported a ridge of muscle over the animal's neck, back and hips.〔 ''Acrocanthosaurus'' was one of the largest theropods, approaching in length, and weighing up to . Large theropod footprints discovered in Texas may have been made by ''Acrocanthosaurus'', although there is no direct association with skeletal remains. Recent discoveries have elucidated many details of its anatomy, allowing for specialized studies focusing on its brain structure and forelimb function. ''Acrocanthosaurus'' was the largest theropod in its ecosystem and likely an apex predator which preyed on sauropods, ornithopods, and ankylosaurs. ==Description== ''Acrocanthosaurus'' was among the largest theropods known to exist. The largest known specimen (NCSM 14345) is estimated to have measured 〔 from snout to tail tip and weighed 〔 to ,〔 with an upper maximum weight of within the realm of possibility for this specimen.〔 Its skull alone was nearly in length. The skull of ''Acrocanthosaurus'', like most other allosauroids, was long, low and narrow. The weight-reducing opening in front of the eye socket (antorbital fenestra) was quite large, more than a quarter of the length of the skull and two-thirds of its height. The outside surface of the maxilla (upper jaw bone) and the upper surface of the nasal bone on the roof of the snout were not nearly as rough-textured as those of ''Giganotosaurus'' or ''Carcharodontosaurus''. Long, low ridges arose from the nasal bones, running along each side of the snout from the nostril back to the eye, where they continued onto the lacrimal bones.〔 This is a characteristic feature of all allosauroids. Unlike ''Allosaurus'', there was no prominent crest on the lacrimal bone in front of the eye. The lacrimal and postorbital bones met to form a thick brow over the eye, as seen in carcharodontosaurids and the unrelated abelisaurids. Nineteen curved, serrated teeth lined each side of the upper jaw, but a tooth count for the lower jaw has not been published. ''Acrocanthosaurus'' teeth were wider than those of ''Carcharodontosaurus'' and did not have the wrinkled texture that characterized the carcharodontosaurids. The dentary (tooth-bearing lower jaw bone) was squared off at the front edge, as in ''Giganotosaurus'', and shallow, while the rest of the jaw behind it became very deep. ''Acrocanthosaurus'' and ''Giganotosaurus'' shared a thick horizontal ridge on the outside surface of the surangular bone of the lower jaw, underneath the articulation with the skull.〔 The most notable feature of ''Acrocanthosaurus'' was its row of tall neural spines, located on the vertebrae of the neck, back, hips and upper tail, which could be more than 2.5 times the height of the vertebrae from which they extended. Other dinosaurs also had high spines on the back, sometimes much higher than those of ''Acrocanthosaurus''. For instance, the unrelated ''Spinosaurus'' had spines nearly 2 meters (6.5 ft) tall, about 11 times taller than the bodies of its vertebrae. The lower spines of ''Acrocanthosaurus'' had attachments for powerful muscles like those of modern bison, probably forming a tall, thick ridge down its back.〔 The function of the spines remains unknown, although they may have been involved in communication, fat storage, or temperature control. All of its cervical (neck) and dorsal (back) vertebrae had prominent depressions (pleurocoels) on the sides, while the caudal (tail) vertebrae bore smaller ones. This is more similar to carcharodontosaurids than to ''Allosaurus''. Aside from its vertebrae, ''Acrocanthosaurus'' had a typical allosauroid skeleton. ''Acrocanthosaurus'' was bipedal, with a long, heavy tail counterbalancing the head and body, maintaining its center of gravity over its hips. Its forelimbs were relatively shorter and more robust than those of ''Allosaurus'' but were otherwise similar: each hand bore three clawed digits. Unlike many smaller fast-running dinosaurs, its femur was longer than its tibia and metatarsals,〔〔 suggesting that ''Acrocanthosaurus'' was not a fast runner. Unsurprisingly, the hind leg bones of ''Acrocanthosaurus'' were proportionally more robust than its smaller relative ''Allosaurus''. Its feet had four digits each, although as is typical for theropods, the first was much smaller than the rest and did not make contact with the ground.〔〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Acrocanthosaurus」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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