---
title: Carcharodontosaurus
description: "Dalle origini del pianeta alle grandi estinzioni. Un viaggio attraverso 4 miliardi di anni di storia, dalle prime forme di vita dell'Adeano ai giganti del Mesozoico e oltre."
author: Angelo Denitto
url: https://noidinosauri.it/en/dinosaurs/saurischians/theropods/carcharodontosaurus
---

![](https://noidinosauri.it/images/encyclopedia/dinosaurs/carcharodontosaurus/carcharodontosaurus-river-middle-cretaceous.webp)

![](https://noidinosauri.it/images/encyclopedia/dinosaurs/carcharodontosaurus/carcharodontosaurus-middle-cretaceous.webp)

### Reproduction

Like all large theropods, **Carcharodontosaurus** almost certainly **laid eggs in ground nests**, likely scraped into soil or sand in sheltered areas. Its behavior during the breeding season remains largely unknown, though its close relatives suggest it was probably a **solitary animal**, coming together with others of its kind only briefly. Hatchlings were likely **precocial** — relatively independent from birth and growing rapidly to reduce vulnerability. It is worth being honest here: the fossil record tells us very little about the reproductive life of this giant, and much remains speculation based on comparisons with better-known theropods.

### The Extinction

**Carcharodontosaurus** did not die with the asteroid. This is one of the most important — and least known — facts about this animal. The **Carcharodontosauridae disappeared from the African fossil record approximately 5 to 10 million years before the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction event** (~66 million years ago). Their decline was likely driven by a combination of **gradual climate shifts, ecosystem transformation**, and increasing competition from other large predators moving into their ecological space. They were already gone long before the impact winter darkened the sky — a reminder that extinction is rarely a single catastrophic moment, but often **a slow, quiet disappearance**.

## Curiosity - Did you know?

By analyzing the braincase using **high-resolution micro-CT scans**, paleontologists discovered that the **inner ear anatomy** of *Carcharodontosaurus* — specifically the semicircular canals that regulate balance — closely resembles that of **modern crocodiles**. This anatomical detail suggests the animal hunted by sweeping its head in **broad, lateral motions** while keeping its snout angled slightly downward: a posture perfectly suited for tracking and sinking its teeth into the flanks of the massive herbivores crossing its territory.

Was Carcharodontosaurus bigger than T. rex?

It was slightly longer, reaching **12 to 12.5 meters**, but possessed a decidedly more slender and lighter build than *Tyrannosaurus rex*, weighing between **6 and 8 tons**.

How did Carcharodontosaurus hunt?

It did not crush bones. Instead, it used its **shark-like serrated teeth** to inflict rapid, deep bites, causing massive blood loss and leaving enormous herbivores like sauropods to collapse from exhaustion.

Did Carcharodontosaurus fight Spinosaurus?

Although they shared the same North African ecosystem, it is highly likely they **avoided each other**. *Carcharodontosaurus* hunted large dinosaurs on land, while *Spinosaurus* focused on an aquatic diet within the river basins — minimizing direct competition.

IMPORTANT - Some statements regarding behavior, coloration, and sensory abilities reflect ongoing scientific hypotheses, not established certainties.