Cristatusaurus
Encyclopedia
Cristatusaurus is an extinct genus
of spinosaurid theropod dinosaur
. It lived during the Early Cretaceous
Period of what is now Africa
.
Its fossils were found at Gadoufaoua in Niger
, Africa, in 1973. These fossils are quite similar to those of Baryonyx
and Suchomimus
. The type species, C. lapparenti, was formally described by Taquet and Russell, in 1998.
There is some debate over the identity of this creature, in that some argue that it may be the same dinosaur as Suchomimus, which has also been found in Niger. Some therefore suggest that Cristatusaurus is a dubious name
.
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 spinosaurid theropod 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...
. It lived during the Early Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
Period of what is now Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
, Africa, in 1973. These fossils are quite similar to those of Baryonyx
Baryonyx
Baryonyx is a genus of carnivorous saurischian dinosaur first discovered in clay pits just south of Dorking, England, and later reported from fossils found in northern Spain and Portugal. It is known to contain only one species, Baryonyx walkeri...
and Suchomimus
Suchomimus
Suchomimus is a genus of large spinosaurid dinosaur with a crocodile-like mouth that lived sometime between 121-112 million years ago, during the late Aptian stage of the Cretaceous period in Africa.-Description:...
. The type species, C. lapparenti, was formally described by Taquet and Russell, in 1998.
There is some debate over the identity of this creature, in that some argue that it may be the same dinosaur as Suchomimus, which has also been found in Niger. Some therefore suggest that Cristatusaurus is a dubious name
Nomen dubium
In zoological nomenclature, a nomen dubium is a scientific name that is of unknown or doubtful application...
.
External links
- Cristatusaurus in the Dinosaur Encyclopaedia