Rugops

Weak Jaws and the Mystery of Its Diet

Despite its ferocious appearance, it has been suggested that Rugops’s jaw was not very strong, leading some paleontologists to believe that it was not suited for intense hunting.
Its teeth were also small and weak, making it a likely scavenger that fed on the carcasses left behind by larger predators like Carcharodontosaurus and Spinosaurus.
The keratinous sheath on its face may have also had a hygienic purpose, protecting its face when it ate carrion.

However, since carcasses were not always available, it is also thought that Rugops did some hunting on its own, much like a hyena or a vulture.
It may have preyed on the juveniles or weak individuals of titanosaurs that lived in the same region.

Unique Physical Characteristics and Evidence of Continental Drift

Rugops’s skull had a unique shape, being long vertically but short horizontally.
The corners of its mouth curved upward, giving it a smiling appearance.

It had a face like a smiling face.

It also had two rows of holes running from its nose to its eyes, which are thought to have been for blood vessels to pass through.
One theory suggests that in life, these blood vessels were accompanied by a row of spines.

Although Rugops fossils have only been found in the Republic of Niger, fossils of similar abelisaurids, like Abelisaurus, have been found in South America.
This is considered strong evidence that the African and South American continents were still connected during the Late Cretaceous period.

Its Influence on the Film Jurassic World

Although it is not a very famous dinosaur, Rugops was one of the dinosaurs used to create the hybrid dinosaur “Indominus rex” in the movie Jurassic World.
Its mysterious ecology and unique skull likely stimulated the filmmakers’ imaginations.