Image: Suchomimus tenerensis (2)
Description: Suchomimus tenerensis Sereno et al., 1998 theropod dinosaur from the Cretaceous of Niger, Africa (temporary public display, Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Hays, Kansas, USA). Suchomimus was a predatory dinosaur that had a somewhat crocodilian-like, elongated skull (~1.2 metres long in this reconstruction), with sharp, posteriorly-directed, sometimes overlapping, teeth. Its fossils are found in fluvial sandstones, so during life, it likely frequented riverine environments. Its diet has been interpreted as including fish and other dinosaurs. This 11 metres long, 4-5 tonne animal had powerful, clawed arms with an enlarged thumb claw and a vertebral column with elongated neural spines that formed a low sail. Classification: Animalia, Chordata, Vertebrata, Dinosauria, Theropoda, Spinosauridae Stratigraphy: fluvial sandstones, Elrhaz Formation, Tegama Group, Aptian Stage, upper Lower Cretaceous Locality: Gadoufaoua, southwestern Tenere Desert, central Niger, northwest-central Africa Reference: Sereno, P.C., 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 & J.A. Wilson. 1998. A long-snouted predatory dinosaur from Africa and the evolution of spinosaurids. Science 282: 1298-1302. Theropod were small to large, bipedal dinosaurs. Almost all known members of the group were carnivorous (predators and/or scavengers). They represent the ancestral group to the birds, and some theropods are known to have had feathers. Some of the most well known dinosaurs to the general public are theropods, such as Tyrannosaurus, Allosaurus, and Spinosaurus.
Title: Suchomimus tenerensis (2)
Credit: Suchomimus tenerensis theropod dinosaur (Elrhaz Formation, Lower Cretaceous; Gadoufaoua, Tenere Desert, central Niger, northwest-central Africa) 1
Author: James St. John
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
License: CC BY 2.0
License Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0
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