The Illustrated Rajasaurus

There are quite a few very similar illustrations of Rajasaurus floating around on the internet. The reason that they are so similar is that the majority of them are based off of the exact same skeletal diagram. There is nothing strange or unique about that; it happens all the time in dinosaur illustration. What is different about it is that many of the illustrations have their own identifying characteristics. This Rajasaurus, for example, has longer arms that are anticipated for Rajasaurus. In fact, they almost appear like the arms of Allosaurus instead. The bump on his head here shows just how small the actual protuberance was; it appears to barely just above the eye ridge of Rajasaurus.

Posed in the same basic position, this Rajasaurus also has somewhat elongated, though shorter than the first illustration, arms. The protuberance on its head is a lot more showy in this illustration of Rajasaurus. In fact, in this illustration it is very pointed, whereas it is thought to have been a large rounded off knob of bone much more than a keratin sheathed horn that elongated a great deal off the skull. Like other Abelisaurids, it is believed the protuberance was used as an identifier as well as a headbutting device during mating and territorial rivalries.

©Todd Marshall

This illustration is the most action posed shot today. Not only that, it is the only one that possesses the arms as they are thought to be after more extensive study of Rajasaurus and Abelisaurids in general; meaning this is the most recent interpretation amongst the three illustrations today. The neck wattle is a nice touch, but of course we do not know much about the soft tissue of dinosaurs unless it is a mummified dinosaur, which Rajasaurus was not. The protuberances and other bumps and ridges along the skull are portrayed very sharply here. The headbutting horn on the top of the skull is a little sharp looking in this illustration as well, but we have already discussed how it looked on the skull itself as taken out of the ground.