Did Allosaurus survive up to the earliest Cretaceous

[Joseph Fossil]

The Theropod Dinosaurs of the genus Allosaurus since their discovery in 1877 are perhaps one the most recognizable theropods of the whole Jurassic period (201.4 ± 0.2-145.0 Million Years ago) despite emerging only in the late Kimmeridgian stage of the Jurassic period. Growing up to 9.7 meters (32 feet) in length fully grown, Allosaurus (also known as the Lions of Jurassic) were the apex predators of most of the terrestrial ecosystems they inhabited. The only theropods from these time that were higher in the food chain were some European non-Allosauroid Theropods and other members of Allosauroidea including the much rarer Epanterias (validity debated, possibly grew fully grown up to 12 meters (40 feet) in length) and Saurophaganax (validity confirmed, fully grown reached 10.5 meters (34 feet) in length). 

 

 

Digital Reconstruction of an adult Allosaurus sp. By artist Frederic Wierum

Image Source: https://fredthedinosaurman.artstation.com/projects/Qg0WB

 

The Allosauroids eventually gave rise to some of the largest theropod dinosaurs known in the fossil record currently including the closely related South American genus Giganotosaurus from the Cenomanian stage of the Late Cretaceous period (99.6-95 Million Years ago) in what is now Argentina (which fully grown grew up to 12-13 meters (39-43 feet) in length). But Allosaurus itself has largely been considered to have lived only in the latest stages in Jurassic period (155-145 Million Years ago).

 

 

I have found some records that might challenge this assumption!!!

 

 

Digital Reconstruction of an adult Allosaurus sp. By artist Frederic Wierum

Image Source: https://fredthedinosaurman.artstation.com/projects/Qg0WB

[Joseph Fossil]

 

There apparently have been records of Allosauroid fossils classified as from Individuals of the genus Allosaurus from the Grotte des Huguenots site (dating to the Early Berriasian stage of the Early Cretaceous 145.0-140.2 Million Years ago) from the Rhone-Alpes region of Southeastern France.

 

P.-O. Mojon. 2001. Dinosauriens éocretacés des facies purbeckiens (Berriasien inférieur) du Jura méridional (S.-E. de la France) [Early Cretaceous dinosaurs from the Purbeck facies (lower Berriasian) of the southern Jura (SE France)]. Archives des Sciences Genève. 54(1):1-5 
https://paleobiodb.org/classic/basicCollectionSearch?collection_no=166079

 

Links for the primary paper
https://scholar.archive.org/work/quunsiiryrd53oft4n6yunp5em

https://web.archive.org/web/20220101042506/https://www.e-periodica.ch/cntmng?pid=ads-003:2001:54::278

 

The French specimens in question are an isolated therapod tooth 50 mm. (5.0 cm.) In length collected in 1977 of which it’s exact whereabouts today are unknown but a full cast of it still survives as Museum de Genève specimen MHNG 60999. This find was also followed by fossilized theropod dinosaur track specimens from the same geologic time and area discovered in 1989. Both were later identified as being almost completely identical to tracks and teeth of Allosaurus.

 

Translated text: Figs A to D. Carnosaurian tooth attributed to the genus Allosaurus and coming from the Grotte des Huguenots (Ain. France). Summit part of the Purbeckian of the southern Jura (inner Berriasian. Mlb, Cretaceous basai). Cast from the original (MHNG 60999). Figs E to H. Dent of Allosaurus “Big Al Two”of Howe Stephens Quarry deposit (Wyoming. U.S.A.). Morrison Formation of the Western USA. (Kimmeridgian-Tithonian, Upper Jurassic). Casting of an original part (MHNG 61000). A-E: left lateral view. B-F: views of the right lateral face. C-G: views of the internal edge (profile). D-H: views of the external edge (profile). The denticles of the internal and external edges clearly visible in profile (C-G-D-H) indicate the height of the tooth crown. Life-size drawings.

 

Another specimen is a large fossilized theropod left maxillary tooth catalogued as specimen IPS-G1 at the Museo Fundación Conjunto Paleontologico de Teruel-Dinópolis (Aragón, Spain), collected from the Villar del Arzobispo Formation (dating to the Latest Jurassic-Earliest Cretaceous periods with the tooth from the Earliest Cretaceous section) in what is now Galve, the Aragón region of Northeast Spain. The tooth measures 75.58 mm. (7.558 cm.) and would have been 78.5 mm. (7.85 cm.) when it was fully intact) and at least belonged to an Allosauroid (likely Allosaurus which is known also from Jurassic deposits in Portugal).

 

 

 

CANUDOJ,. I., RUIZ-OMERACJA., ,A URELL,M.B, ARCOJ,. L. & CUENCA-BESCOGS.,
(2006): A megatheropod tooth from the late Tithonian - middle Berriasian
(Jurassic-Cretaceous transition) of Galve (Aragon, NE Spain). -N. Jb. Geol. Palaont.
Abh., 239: 77-99; Stuttgart.
https://doc.rero.ch/record/13849/files/PAL_E774.pdf

https://www.theropoddatabase.com/Carnosauria.htm

 

 

The third specimen is a fossilized theropod ungual claw catalogued as SAM K1475 by the Iziko South African Museum, collected from the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary at the Sundays River Formation at Cape Province, South Africa. The specimen is 93 mm. (9.3 cm.) In length and has been noted by the authors as almost identical to ungual claws found in Allosaurus species.

https://www.palass.org/publications/palaeontology-journal/archive/30/1/article_pp141-145

https://www.palass.org/sites/default/files/media/publications/palaeontology/volume_30/vol30_part1_pp141-145.pdf

 

These Allosauroid specimens reinforce a hypothesis of mine that small populations of species of the genus Allosaurus (located in what is now Spain, Southern France, and South Africa) survived the faunal turnover that occurred in the latest stages of the Jurassic and survived up to (but only up to) the earliest Berriasian of the early Cretaceous.

 

 

My question is how likely is it Allosaurus survived into the earliest cretaceous?
 

[rocket]

I normally have problem with „same genus or species, or perhaps family“  from north america and europe. Upper jurassic and lower cretaceous was the time when the atlantic ocean begins. So it should be possible to find Allosaurids on both continents. And Allosaurid could survive up to the lower cretaceous, why not? Main problem for me is the question: can we identify them clearly only by having some incomplete teeth? Most of the hugh predators teeth look „too similar“ to be sure what you have. Might be more finds light this dark.., for the moment I would say: perhaps, might be, might be not