During which geological period did the Abelisauridae family thrive prominently in southern continents?
Answer
Cretaceous period
The text explicitly states that Abelisauridae, the family to which Xenotarsosaurus bonapartei belongs, was a distinctive group of carnivorous dinosaurs that thrived during the Cretaceous period. Furthermore, the environment inhabited by Xenotarsosaurus itself is specified as the Late Cretaceous landscape of what is now Argentina. This time frame places the abelisaurids as major players in the predator-prey dynamics of the Southern Hemisphere during that epoch.
Related Questions
What family classification is assigned to Xenotarsosaurus bonapartei?What feeding strategy is assumed for Xenotarsosaurus as a member of Theropoda?What scenario involving a beached carcass suggests dietary flexibility for Xenotarsosaurus?During which geological period did the Abelisauridae family thrive prominently in southern continents?What skull features characterize Abelisaurids like Carnotaurus?What term describes the inclusion of scavenging into the diet of Xenotarsosaurus?What specific herbivores are inferred to have roamed the Late Cretaceous environment of Xenotarsosaurus?Relative to potentially larger carnivores, what ecological role might Xenotarsosaurus have supplemented its diet with?Which anatomical structure is referenced by the meaning of Xenotarsosaurus, "strange ankle lizard"?Why is relying on scavenging described as an energy-saving strategy for Xenotarsosaurus?