Chebsaurus
Encyclopedia
Chebsaurus is a genus
of quadruped
al, herbivorous
, cetiosaurid
sauropod dinosaur
, specifically a eusauropod. It lived in present day Algeria
, in the Middle Jurassic
Period. The type species, C. algeriensis, was named in 2005 by Farida Mahammed and is the most complete Algerian sauropod known. It was around 8 to 9 meters long.
The word "Cheb" is colloquial Arabic
for "teenager", as the fossils found were believed to be from a juvenile. The original publication, by Mahammed et al., gives Chebsaurus the nickname "the Giant of Ksour".
The skeleton, including cranial material, was found in the Occidental Saharan Atlas
(Algerian High Atlas).
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of quadruped
Quadruped
Quadrupedalism is a form of land animal locomotion using four limbs or legs. An animal or machine that usually moves in a quadrupedal manner is known as a quadruped, meaning "four feet"...
al, herbivorous
Herbivore
Herbivores are organisms that are anatomically and physiologically adapted to eat plant-based foods. Herbivory is a form of consumption in which an organism principally eats autotrophs such as plants, algae and photosynthesizing bacteria. More generally, organisms that feed on autotrophs in...
, cetiosaurid
Cetiosaurus
Cetiosaurus meaning 'whale lizard', from the Greek cetus/κητος meaning 'sea monster' and saurus/σαυρος meaning 'lizard', was a sauropod dinosaur from the Mid to Late Jurassic Period in what are now Europe and Africa. It is estimated to have been about long and to have weighed roughly...
sauropod dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
, specifically a eusauropod. It lived in present day Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, in the Middle Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
Period. The type species, C. algeriensis, was named in 2005 by Farida Mahammed and is the most complete Algerian sauropod known. It was around 8 to 9 meters long.
The word "Cheb" is colloquial Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
for "teenager", as the fossils found were believed to be from a juvenile. The original publication, by Mahammed et al., gives Chebsaurus the nickname "the Giant of Ksour".
The skeleton, including cranial material, was found in the Occidental Saharan Atlas
Atlas Mountains
The Atlas Mountains is a mountain range across a northern stretch of Africa extending about through Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. The highest peak is Toubkal, with an elevation of in southwestern Morocco. The Atlas ranges separate the Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines from the Sahara Desert...
(Algerian High Atlas).