#elrhaz

[pleistocene-pride]

Happy Dinosaur Day: Suchomimus is a genus of spinosaur theropod dinosaur that lived throughout what is now North Africa during the Aptian and early Albian stages of the Early Cretaceous period some 125 to 112 mya. The first remains of suchomimus consisting of a giant thumb claw was discovered by David Varricchio in December of 1997 in Niger while he was working for a paleontological dig lead by Paul Sereno. Throughout 1997 and 1998 the dig team would unearth a 2/3rds complete giant theropod skeleton. In 1998 Paul Sereno, Allison Beck, Didier Dutheil, Boubacar Gado, Hans Larsson, Gabrielle Lyon, Jonathan Marcot, Oliver Rauhut, Rudyard Sadleir, Christian Sidor, David Varricchio, Gregory Wilson and Jeffrey Wilson would name and describe the animal as Suchomimus tenerensis. The generic name Suchomimus meaning "crocodile mimic” in Ancient Greek, and the specific name tenerensis is after the Ténéré Desert where the animal was found. Since then several more specimens have been recovered. Reaching around 31 to 36ft (9.5 to 11m) in length and 5,500 to 11,700lbs (2,500 to 5,300kgs) in weight, suchomimus was a massive animal which had a long & low crocodile like skull supported by a thick but short neck. It had sturdy hind legs and powerfully built forelimbs which bore a giant claw on each thumb. Along the midline of the animal's back ran a low dorsal sail, built from the long neural spines of its vertebrae. Like other spinosaurids suchomimus would have lived near bodies of water. The bulk of its diet of was likely comprised of boney fish, eels, sharks, rays, and amphibians, occasionally being supplemented with pterosaurs, crocodilians, and other dinosaurs.

Art used can be found at the following links

[mesozoicmarket]

A Cretaceous lungfish tooth plate of a Neoceratodus africanus or Ceratodus sp. from the Elrhaz Formation in Gadoufaoua, Niger. These giant Mesozoic lungfish would have been prey for genera like Suchomimus tenerensis and Sarcosuchus imperator.

[creature-studios]

Suchomimus, meaning "crocodile mimic," was a spinosaurid dinosaur that lived during the Early Cretaceous period, approximately 125 to 112 million years ago. Its name reflects its crocodile-like skull, which was long and shallow, ideal for catching fish. Discovered in Niger, Africa, by paleontologist Paul Sereno and his team in 1997, the dinosaur's remains were found in the Elrhaz Formation, a region known for its rich fossil deposits. Suchomimus was a large theropod, measuring between 9.5 and 11 meters (31–36 feet) in length and weighing up to 3.8 metric tons. Its forelimbs were robust, equipped with giant claws, and it had a low dorsal sail along its back formed by elongated neural spines.

This dinosaur's diet primarily consisted of fish, supported by its specialized teeth and jaw structure. It likely inhabited fluvial environments, such as floodplains, alongside other dinosaurs, pterosaurs, and aquatic creatures like bony fishes and turtles. Some paleontologists suggest that Suchomimus might be an African species of the European spinosaurid Baryonyx, or even a junior synonym of Cristatusaurus lapparenti, though these classifications remain debated. Its discovery has provided valuable insights into the diversity and adaptations of spinosaurid dinosaurs.

Suchomimus' anatomy suggests it was well-suited for a semi-aquatic lifestyle, wading in shallow waters to hunt prey. Its powerful arms and claws may have been used to catch fish or other small animals. The discovery of Suchomimus has highlighted the evolutionary link between dinosaurs and modern reptiles, showcasing how certain species adapted to specific ecological niches. This fascinating creature continues to be a subject of study, shedding light on the complex ecosystems of the Early Cretaceous.

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

yes, I know I'm only listing a few things per ecosystem, these polls have character limits

polls can only have ten options. I did my best. I even made a sacrifice - my favorite dinosaur, Maiasaura, is from Two Medicine, which I did not include, because its very similar to Hell Creek. So.

[roseonblender]

Suchomimus at a watering hole hunting as the sun sets. She caught that fish, hooray!

Been messing around with lighting and stuff lately and since I’ve been working on models from the elrhaz formation, thought I’d show them off. Still got more creatures to make, tho. Kryptops, sarcosuchus, eocharcaria, maybe nigersaurus or ouranosaurus too

[saritawolff]

#Archovember Day 24 - Araripesuchus wegeneri

The notosuchians were were such a diverse group of pseudosuchians you’d think they came from the Triassic. But no, this group of “mammal-mimicking” crocodylomorphs lived during the Jurassic and Cretaceous. One such Cretaceous notosuchian was Araripesuchus. This genus was widespread across the Southern Hemisphere, represented by at least 6 different species, mostly identified by their unique teeth. Today’s species is Araripesuchus wegeneri, the “Dog Croc.”

Living in Early Cretaceous Niger, Araripesuchus wegeneri appeared to be an omnivore, eating both plants and insects like grubs. Its common name “Dog Croc” is a reference to not only the dog-like shape of its skull, but also its unique caniniform teeth. Araripesuchus wegeneri fossils were found in a block with five skeletons packed together, so they may have even been social. All species of Araripesuchus had large eyes and thin osteoderms covering their body. They were likely more agile on land than in water, due to their long limbs. It could have possibly used its long legs to sprint to the water in order to flee predators, then used its muscular tail to swim.

There was a significant amount of pseudosuchian diversity in the Elrhaz Formation. Araripesuchus wegeneri would have lived alongside the similarly sized, duck-billed notosuchian Anatosuchus. It would have had to look out for the giant “Super Croc”, Sarcosuchus (perhaps the reason it had adapted for leaving the water so easily!) It would have also lived alongside the long-snouted fish-eater Stolokrosuchus. There were dinosaurs here as well, such as the iguanodont Lurdusaurus, the hadrosaur Ouranosaurus, the carcharodontosaurid Eocarcharia, the abelisaurid Kryptops, the spinosaurid Suchomimus, and the duck-billed sauropod Nigersaurus.

[uk-fossils]

Suchomimus (Spinosaur) Dinosaur Tooth Fossil - Cretaceous, Elrhaz Formation, Niger - 100% Genuine, COA

This impressive Suchomimus Dinosaur Tooth Fossil is a genuine specimen from the Cretaceous period, discovered in the Elrhaz Formation, Gadaoufa, Tenere Desert, Niger. Suchomimus, a member of the Spinosaur family, was a large theropod dinosaur known for its elongated snout and conical teeth, which were ideal for catching fish. This fossilized tooth is a unique piece of prehistoric history, dating back over 110 million years.

Spinosaurids like Suchomimus were semi-aquatic predators, making this fossil a rare and exciting find. The tooth has been well-preserved, showcasing sharp detail and structure, making it an excellent addition to any fossil collection. With its distinctive shape, this Suchomimus fossil represents the fascinating adaptations of this incredible dinosaur species.

Key Features:

Species: Suchomimus (Spinosaur Theropod Dinosaur)

Location: Elrhaz Formation, Gadaoufa, Tenere Desert, Niger

Age: Cretaceous Period (~110 million years old)

Size: Full dimensions provided in the photos (scale cube = 1cm)

100% Genuine: Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity

Actual Specimen: The photos show the exact fossil you will receive

This carefully chosen, authentic Suchomimus dinosaur tooth fossil is a perfect find for serious collectors, paleontology enthusiasts, or anyone interested in the incredible diversity of prehistoric life. Own a real piece of Cretaceous history with this stunning fossil tooth!

[cacatoto-2024]

Nigersaurus merupakan sebuah genus dinosaurus sauropoda dari famili Rebbachisauridae yang hidup pada pertengahan periode Kapur, sekitar 115 sampai 105 juta tahun yang lalu. Fosilnya ditemukan di Formasi Elrhaz, yang terletak di daerah Gadoufaoua, di Niger. Salah satu spesiesnya yang telah diketahui pernah hidup pada zaman kapur awal, sekitar 110 juta tahun yang lalu dan memiliki habitat di hutan wilayah Afrika Utara.[1] Dinosaurus ini dijuluki sebagai "mesin pemotong rumput mesozoikum" karena bentuk persegi pada mulut atau moncong yang dimilikinya.[2] Nama Nigersaurus diambil dari bahasa Yunani yang berarti "kadal Niger", dan nama spesifiknya menghormati paleontolog Phillipe Taquet, yang menemukan sisa-sisa fosil pertamanya.

[lauras-happy-place]

In a scene very reminiscent of East Africa's Mara River today, a herd of Ouranosaurus steers clear of Sarcosuchus while looking for a place to cross. (The little ornithopods running past are indeterminate and ornamental, according to Luis.)

Ouranosaurus nigeriensis

('brave/courageous reptile from Niger')

Styracosterna Hadrosauriformes

Elrhaz Formation, Ténéré Desert, Agadez, Niger.

Lower Cretaceous, ~112 Ma.

~

Artwork by Luis V. Rey.

Daily Dino Fact #13

[reneg661]

Is a genus of herbivorous basal hadrosauriform dinosaur that lived during the Aptian stage of the Early Cretaceous of modern-day Niger and Cameroon. Ouranosaurus measured about 7 to 8.3 metres (23 to 27 ft) long. Two rather complete fossils were found in the Elrhaz Formation, Gadoufaoua deposits, Agadez, Niger, in 1965 and 1970, with a third indeterminate specimen known from the Koum Formation of Cameroon. The animal was named in 1976 by French paleontologist Philippe Taquet; the type species being Ouranosaurus nigeriensis. The name is a combination of the Arabic word for "courage" and the country of discovery, although ourane is also the Tuareg name for the desert monitor.

Herbivore

Ouranosaurus (c) Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous Art (c) reneg661

[pleistocene-pride]

Happy Dinosaur Day: Eocarcharia is a genus of carcharodontosaurid theropod dinosaur that lived in what is now North Africa during the Aptian and Albian stages of the early cretaceous period some 125 to 112 mya. The holotype specimen of eocarcharia consisting of a partial skull was uncovered in the year 2000 during an expedition to the Elrhaz formation led by University of Chicago paleontologist Paul Sereno. These remains where found alongside the remains of an abelisaurid named Kryptops. Yet in wouldn’t be until 2008 that the animal would be formally named and described by Dr. Sereno and Dr. Brusatte. Since then some additional post cranial remains have been recovered/ reassigned from other genuses. The type and only species is Eocarcharia dinops which roughly translates to dawn shark with fierce eyes, with the specific name being in reference to the fact that Eocarcharia’s brow is swollen into a massive band of bone, giving it a menacing glare. Reaching roughly 19 to 26ft (6-8m) in length and 2,200 to 4,400lbs (1,000 to 2,000kgs) in weight, Eocarcharia would have been one of the largest predators of its environment. Likely using its sharp blade like teeth to dispatch various prey in the form of the sauropods, ornithopods, crocodiliomorphs, and smaller theropods it shared its environment with.

Art used can be found at the following links

[mesozoicmarket]

A dinosaur tooth of an indeterminate carcharodontosaurid, possibly Eocarcharia dinops from the Elrhaz Formation in Gadoufaoua, Niger. The size and basal morphology of the tooth would suggest a large carcharodontosaurid similar to that of Acrocanthosaurus than what is currently known from the dentition of Eocarcharia. However, there is little known about the full dentition of this species, and most phylogenetic placements classify it as a basal or early diverging carcharodontosaurid.

[rperboni]

(Note: I am not a professional paleontologist or even biologist. I am just and amateur paleoartist and enthusiast. If my infos are off in some way, feel free to correct them ^^)

-

DINOCEMBER

4 -  Amazonsaurus maranhensis (combination from the Greek "sauros" - lizard - and Amazon) - Early Cretaceous (125-100 Ma BCE) - Itapecuru Formation, Maranhão, Brazil  

Discovered in the early 2000s, the Amazonsaurus stands out among other brazilian sauropods, non-avian dinosaurs with long necks and among the largest terrestrial animals that have ever lived, because it is one of the few that does not belong to the clade Titanosauria, being closer to the famous Diplodocus, from Jurassic in North America. A large animal, but relatively small for its order, the Amazonsaurus measured just over 12 meters in length and weighed about 5 tons, which lived in a flooded region next to a river delta, feeding on several plants that existed there. The Amazonsaurus belongs to the Rebbachisauridae family, belonging to the Diplodocimorpha, but very different from the classic image of these animals, with very long necks and tails in barrel-shaped bodies, having comparatively shorter necks, but not so much to the Dicraeosauridae, being some members of the more specialized family to graze and feed on lower plants, as in the case of the Nigersaurus, a relative of the Amazonsaurus of the Elrhaz formation, in Niger. The Rebbachisauridae and other Diplodocimorpha already became more and more rare in the beginning of the Cretaceous, being totally replaced by the immense titanosaurs in their ecological niche, being thus until the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction.

- Color scheme inspired by an African Forest Bufallo (Syncerus cafer nanus) and a Blue-Tongued Skink (genus Tiliqua)

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Ouranosaurus nigeriensis

By José Carlos Cortés

Etymology: Brave Reptile of the Sky

First Described By: Taquet, 1976

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Ornithischia, Genasauria, Neornithischia, Cerapoda, Ornithopoda, Iguanodontia, Dryomorpha, Ankylopollexia, Styracosterna, Hadrosauriformes

Status: Extinct

Time and Place: Sometime around 112 million years ago, in the Albian age of the Early Cretaceous 

Ouranosaurus is known from the Elrhaz Formation of Agadez, Niger 

Physical Description: Ouranosaurus is an exceptionally iconic dinosaur, primarily because of its very weird distinguishing physical feature: it has a sail. Probably. The reason for this idea is that Ouranosaurus had extremely high spines on its back, creating a notable ridge along the center of the animal. These spines become thicker and flatten as they go along the body, and bony (ossified) tendons ran across the spines and the tail. The spines grew biggest over the forelimbs, rather than over the hips. This structure may have been a sail; it also could have been a hump containing muscle or fat - similar to living bison and camels. This would have allowed for the storage of energy during the dry season or another time of year. If a sail, this structure would have been primarily one of display, flashing colors and patterns to communicate with other members of the species. It had very long forelimbs with lightly built hands, which had sharp thumb claws and the middle fingers built into a broad hoof-like structure. In short, it was capable of quadrupedal walking. It had very robust hindlimbs as well, and thus was able to walk bipedally in addition to quadrupedally. Ouranosaurus was quite large, reaching 7 meters in length and weighing somewhere around 2.2 tonnes - despite its length, it was fairly lightly built. With its sail, it was just under 3 meters tall. Being of such large size, it is unlikely that Ouranosaurus retained any fluffy covering; if it did, it was sparse and mainly ornamental.  

By Slate Weasel, in the Public Domain

It had a very long, flat head, with an even longer snout that greatly surpassed the size of Ouranosaurus’ close relative, Iguanodon. It had a straight beak, rather than a curved one, and no teeth in the front of its snout. The snout also was covered in a sheath of horn, which made it wider and more like something of a beak. This beak was then followed by densely packed batteries of teeth in the cheeks, forming a single surface like those found in the much later Hadrosaurs. The jaws had fairly weak muscles, but this was made up for with a narrow back of the skull, which made the bite ability of the jaws greater to make up for the weak musculature. In short, Ouranosaurus, despite having a very different head than the later Hadrosaurs, was still a strong chewer. Interestingly enough, the eyebrows of Ouranosaurus featured small rounded horns - making Ouranosaurus the only known Ornithopod (Hadrosaurs and their close relatives) with horns. It had highly placed nostrils, and two small bumps between the nose and the eye socket for display. 

By Pavel Riha CC BY-SA 3.0

Diet: Ouranosaurus primarily fed on leaves, fruit, and seeds, using its chewing to break up tougher plant material and to gain food from it. Given its decent height, Ouranosaurus would have been a mid-level browser. 

By Audrey M. Horn, CC BY-SA 4.0

Behavior: Ouranosaurus would have spent most of its time foraging on a variety of plants in its ecosystem, wandering about the river delta searching for leaves, fruits, and other delicious foods. It is fairly unlikely that Ouranosaurus would have been a herding animal, as herds seemed to have been more of a behavior for Ornithopods more closely related to Hadrosaurs; instead, Ouranosaurus probably wandered about its environment alone, or in small family groups. That said, it almost certainly took care of its young in some capacity, and it did have complex social behaviors if the sail was a sail and used for display - and it used those bumps and horns on its head for display as well. It was also probably at least somewhat vocal. As for the spiked thumbs, those could have been used for defense, as well as in-fighting amongst members of the group. It wouldn’t have been a good runner, but it would have moved on two legs when needing to move at least somewhat faster, and stuck to four legs for most movements throughout the day. It probably would have used that narrow head to selectively grab a variety of foods from in between more dense foliage. 

By Scott Reid

Ecosystem: Ouranosaurus lived in an extensive river delta, filled with extensive waterways and wetlands. These wide rivers were home to many animals, including a truly extensive number of dinosaurs. Plenty of trees, including ginkgoes and pines, and some flowering plants, in addition to horsetails and ferns, were present for Ouranosaurus to feed on. There were many types of fish and invertebrates, and the turtle Taquetochelys, but the archosaurs were the main stars of the show. There was the duck-croc Anatosuchus, the giant croc Sarcosuchus, and the running croc Araripesuchus on the Crocodylomorph side of things. There was a weirdo sauropod here too, the duck-billed Nigersaurus, which decidedly does not get enough press. As for other ornithopods, there was the fast-running biped Elrhazosaurus, and a close cousin of Ouranosaurus - Lurdusaurus, an equally-weird creature, with a long neck like a sauropod and the ability to live semi-aquatically in the river system. As for theropods, there was the possible Ornithomimosaur Afromimus, the mid-sized carnosaur Eocarcharia, the Abelisaurid Kryptops, and the spinosaur Suchomimus. You will note that Ouranosaurus did not live with Spinosaurus. This is a misconception. The two did not live together - never, not once, not even close, they are not found in the same place. Spinosaurus (probably) comes from later, and while it seems that it did live that southward, it decidedly did not live in the Elrhaz formation, because its job was being done by Suchomimus. As for predators, Ouranosaurus probably had to mostly watch out for Eocarcharia and Kryptops, as they would have been the main land predators of the area. 

By Ripley Cook

Other: Ouranosaurus, being a Hadrosauriform, was most closely related to one of the more famous Ornithopods, Iguanodon, and shared the thumb spike in common with it. Interestingly enough, Ouranosaurus wasn’t the only hump or sail backed dinosaur at that point of the family tree; Morelladon, which lived much earlier, also supported some sort of odd structure on its back.

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources under the Cut 

Bailey, J.B. (1997). "Neural spine elongation in dinosaurs: sailbacks or buffalo-backs?". Journal of Paleontology. 71 (6): 1124–1146.

Benton, Michael J. (2012). Prehistoric Life. Edinburgh, Scotland: Dorling Kindersley. p. 338.

Galton, P. M., and P. Taquet. 1982. Valdosaurus, a hypsilophodontid dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of Europe and Africa. Géobios 15(2):147-159

Larsson, H. C. E., and B. Gado. 2000. A new Early Cretaceous crocodyliform from Niger. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen 217(1):131-141

McDonald, A.T.; Kirkland, J.I.; DeBlieux, D.D.; Madsen, S.K.; Cavin, J.; Milner, A.R.C.; Panzarin, L. (2010). Farke, Andrew Allen (ed.). "New Basal Iguanodontians from the Cedar Mountain Formation of Utah and the Evolution of Thumb-Spiked Dinosaurs". PLoS ONE. 5 (11): e14075.

McDonald, A. T., (2011). "The taxonomy of species assigned to Camptosaurus (Dinosauria: Ornithopoda)" (PDF). Zootaxa. 2783: 52–68.

Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 144.

Paul, G.S. (2010). The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs, Princeton University Press. p. 292.

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, and J. A. Wilson. 1998. A long-snouted predatory dinosaur from Africa and the evolution of spinosaurids. Science 282:1298-1302

Sereno, P. C.; H. C. Larsson; C. A. Sidor, and B. Gado. 2001. The giant crocodyliform Sarcosuchus from the Cretaceous of Africa. Science 294. 1516–1519.

Sereno, P. C.; Wilson, J. A.; Witmer, L. M.; Whitlock, J. A.; Maga, A.; Ide, O.; Rowe, T. A. (2007). "Structural extremes in a Cretaceous dinosaur". PLoS ONE. 2 (11): e1230.  

Sereno, Paul C., and Stephen L. Brusatte. 2008. Basal abelisaurid and carcharodontosaurid theropods from the Lower Cretaceous Elrhaz Formation of Niger. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 53. 15–49.  

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

Sereno, P. C., and S. J. ElShafie. 2013. A New Long-Necked Turtle, Laganemys tenerensis (Pleurodira: Araripemydidae), from the Elrhaz Formation (Aptian–Albian) of Niger. In D. B. Brinkman, P. A. Holroyd, J. D. Gardner (eds.), Morphology and Evolution of Turtles 215-250

Taquet, P., 1970, "Sur le gisement de Dinosauriens et de Crocodiliens de Gadoufaoua (République du Niger)", Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences à Paris, Série D

Taquet, P. 1976. Geologie et paleontologie du gisement de Gadoufaoua (Aptien du Niger), Cahier Paleont., C.N.R.S. Paris, 1-191

Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. 861 pp.

[roseonblender]

Working on some critters from the Elrhaz formation

I wanna make more, and try to reconstruct this ecosystem a little further than I usually do. Up next (after I finish up these two) is probably kryptops, maybe something I can take less seriously tho, like some plants or fish (not that those aren’t amazing creatures worthy of respect and effort put into their portrayals, but I like dinosaurs more)

[jasonmartian]

Nigersaurus was a dinosaur that lived during the Cretaceous period, about 115 to 105 million years ago. It was discovered in the Elrhaz Formation in the Republic of Niger.