Carcharodontosaurus saharicus + iguidensis

Carcharodontosaurus was a large meat-eating theropod from the Early Cretaceous of Africa. Its huge skull with powerful jaw equipped with long serrated teeth make it a formidable predator. Carcharodontosaurus was originally described by French paleontologists Deperet and Savornin in 1925 as a species of Megalosaurus from fragmentary remains found in the desert of Algeria. The name Carcharodontosaurus was coined by Stromer in 1931. The original material was destroyed during WWII but additional fossils were found later. In 2007, Brusatte and Sereno described a new species from Niger, C. iguidensis.

Name

Carcharodontosaurus saharicus [+ C. iguidensis]

Authority

(Deperet & Savornin, 1925) Stromer, 1931

Meaning of generic name

Carcharodon (Jagged teeth =) Shark [+ sauros] Lizard

Meaning of specific names

[from Sahara desert, + from Iguidi of Agadez district in Niger]

Size

Length: 13.5 m

Remains

Fragmentary skull and associated postcrania.

Age and Distribution

Baharija Formation (Cenomanian), Marsa Matruh Egypt; Tegana Formation Ksar-es-Souk Morocco; Chenini Formation "Continental intercalaire" Medinine, Tunisia; "Continental intercalaire" (Gharyan) Lybia; "Continental intercalaire" Adrar Tamenghest Wargla (Albian), Algeria; "Continental intercalaire" Agadez, Niger

Classification

Dinosauria Saurischia Theropoda Carnosauria Carcharodontosauridae

Further Reading

C. Depéret and J. Savornin. 1925. Sur la découverte d'une faune de Vertébrés albiens à Timimoun (Sahara occidental) [On the discovery of a fauna of Albian vertebrates at Timimoun (western Sahara)]. Comptes Rendus des Hebdomadaires des Seances de l'Academie des Sciences à Paris 181:1108-1111.

S. Brusatte and P. C. Sereno. 2007. A new species of Carcharodontosaurus (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Cenomanian of Niger and a revision of the genus. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 27(4):902-916

Synonyms

Megalosaurus saharicus Deperet & Savornin, 1925; Dryptosaurus saharicus (Deperet & Savornin, 1925)

Rugops primus

Name

Rugops primus

Authority

Sereno, Wilson and Conrad, 2004

Meaning of generic name

Ruga, wrinkle (Latin); ops<i>, face (Greek).

Meaning of specific name

primus, first (Latin). Named for its significance as one of the earliest abelisaurids with textured external skull surfaces.

Size

Length: 24 - 30 ft (7 - 9 m)

Remains

Holotype: MNN IGU1, Partial cranium lacking the posterolateral portions of the skull roof and palate.

[Skull length nearly measured, part lacking calculated, body length calculated, then.]

Age and Distribution

Horizon: Echkar Formation, Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian).

Locality: Near In Abangharit, Niger Republic, Africa

Classification

Dinosauria Saurischia Theropoda Ceratosauria Abelisauroidea Abelisauridae

Further Reading

Sereno, P., Wilson, J. & Conrad. 2004. New dinosaurs link southern landmasses in the Mid-Cretaceous. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences, 271, 1325-1330.

Kaprosuchus saharicus

Kaprosuchus is known from only a single almost complete skull discovered in Niger. This crocodyliform was nicknamed "boar croc" after its unusual caniniform teeth which resemble those of a boar. It has been estimated that Kaprosuchus may have reached lengths of 6 metres. It is thought that this crocodyliform would have been strictly a terrestrial (living on land) animal and certainly a feared predator!

Name

Kaprosuchus saharicus

Authority

Sereno & Larsson , 2009

Meaning of generic name

Kapros, boar (Greek); souchos, crocodile (Greek).

Meaning of specific name

Sahara, Sahara Desert; -icus, belonging to (Greek).

Size

Body length: 6 m , Skull length: 50 cm

Remains

Holotype (MNN IGU12): nearly complete skull.

[Body length calculated, skull length actually measured, most of it at least: photo does not look like back of skull is there, but that might be because I know too little of croc skulls in general.]

Age and Distribution

Horizon: Echkar Formation, Tegama Series; Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian).

Locality: Iguidi, Agadez District, Niger.

Classification

Crocodylomorpha Neosuchia Mahajangasuchidae.

Further Reading

P. C. Sereno and H. C. E. Larsson. 2009. Cretaceous crocodyliformes from the Sahara. ZooKeys 28:1-143.

Suchomimus tenerensis

This large theropod from Niger was very similar to Baryonyx to the point that some author placed it in the same genus. It had an elongated crocodile-like snout equipped with sharp teeth ideal for catching fish. It lived in the similar marshy environments than the modern crocodiles. Blade shape vertebral spines form a low sail over the hips.

Name

Suchomimus tenerensis

Authority

Sereno, Beck, Dutheil, Gado, Larsson, Lyon, Marcot, Rauhut, Sadleir, Sidor, Varricchio, Wilson & Wilson, 1998

Meaning of generic name

Crocodile mimic

Meaning of specific name

[From Tenere Desert]

Size

Length: 11 m

Remains

Nearly complete skeleton with skull.

Age and Distribution

Elrhaz Formation (Late Aptian), Tenere Desert region, Niger.

Classification

Dinosauria Saurischia Theropoda Spinosauroidea Spinosauridae

Further Reading

P. C. Sereno, A. L. Beck, D. B. Dutheil, B. Gado, H. C. E. Larsson, G. H. Lyon, J. D. Marcot, O. W. M. Rauhut, R. W. Sadleir, C. A. Sidor, D. D. Varricchio, G. P. Wilson, and J. A. Wilson. 1998. A long-snouted predatory dinosaur from Africa and the evolution of spinosaurids. Science 282:1298-1302.

Synonyms

Cristatusaurus lapparenti Taquet & Russell, 1998

Spinostropheus gautieri

Name

Spinostropheus gautieri

Authority

Sereno, Conrad and Wilson, 2004 originally described as Elaphrosaurus gautieri, Lapparet, 1960

Meaning of generic name

Spine Vertebra in Greek. Named for the prominent epipophyseal processes on the cervical vertebrae and its moderate body size

[was earlier, with my earlier comment:]

Meaning of generic names

Spine Vertebra + turning in Greek. Named for the prominent epipophyseal [?] processes on the cervical vertebrae and – elaphrosaurus synonym – its moderate body size and its being a lizard

[“prominent epipophyseal [?] processes” = disease?]

Meaning of specific name

After Geologist F. Gautier

Size

Body length: 12 ft (4 m)

Remains

Holotype: Isolated mid-cervical vertebrae

Referred Specimen: MNN TIG6, articulated axial column preserving the third cervical to the anterior sacrals with complete cervical and more fragmentary dorsal ribs. Cervical and dorsal vertebrae overlap with the holotypic specimen.

[Neither head nor extremities!]

Age and Distribution

Horizon: Tiouraren Formation, Irhazer Group, Lower Cretaceous Period (Lower Berriasian - Upper Barremian)

Locality: Niger, Africa

Classification

Dinosauria Saurischia Theropoda Ceratosauria

Further Reading

Lapparent (1960). "Les dinosauriens du 'Continental intercalaire' du Sahara central." Mem. Soc. Geol. France. 88A:1-57.

Sereno, P.C., Wilson, J.A., & Conrad, J.L. 2004. New dinosaurs link southern landmasses in the Mid-Cretaceous. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London: Biological Sciences 271: 1325-1330.

[Earlier also]

Synonyms

Elaphrosaurus gautieri

Spinophorosaurus nigerensis

Spinophorosaurus is a basal sauropod from the Middle Jurassic of Niger. Known from two almost complete skeletons, it is to date the most complete basal sauropod discovered. It has a number of features that make it a close relative of the Asian basal sauropods such as Shunosaurus, rahter than to the Gondwanan genera. Spiky osteoderms found in association with the skeletons were probably placed at the end of the tail in the living animal to serve as a defense against predators.

Name

Spinophorosaurus nigerensis

Authority

Remes, Ortega, Fierro, Joger, Kosma and Ferrer, 2009

Meaning of generic name

The genus name refers to the presence of spikebearing osteoderms, Latin spina, spike, Greek phoro, to bear, and sauros, lizard

Meaning of specific name

[from Niger]

Size

Length: 13 m

Remains

Holotype (GCP-CV-4229 and NMB-1699-R): partial skull and nearly complete postcranial skeleton.

Paratype: NMB-1698-R, a partial skull and incomplete postcranial skeleton.

Age and Distribution

Horizon: base of the Irhazer Group, possibly Middle Jurassic (Bajocian-Bathonian) or even Lower Jurassic.

Locality: Thirozerine Dept., Agadez Region, Republic of Niger.

Classification

Dinosauria Saurischia Sauropoda

Further Reading

Remes, K., Ortega, F., Fierro, I., Joger, U., Kosma, R. and Ferrer, J.M.M. 2009. A new basal sauropod dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic of Niger and the early evolution of sauropoda. PLoS ONE, 4(9): e6924.