List of African dinosaurs

This is a list of dinosaurs whose remains have been recovered from Africa. Africa has a rich fossil record, but it is patchy and incomplete. It is rich in Triassic and Early Jurassic dinosaurs. African dinosaurs from these time periods include Coelophysis, Dracovenator, Melanorosaurus, Massospondylus, Euskelosaurus, Heterodontosaurus, Abrictosaurus, and Lesothosaurus. In the Middle Jurassic, the sauropods Atlasaurus, Chebsaurus, Jobaria, and Spinophorosaurus, flourished, as well as the theropod Afrovenator. The Late Jurassic is well represented in Africa, mainly thanks to the spectacular Tendaguru Formation. Veterupristisaurus, Ostafrikasaurus, Elaphrosaurus, Giraffatitan, Dicraeosaurus, Janenschia, Tornieria, Tendaguria, Kentrosaurus, and Dysalotosaurus are among the dinosaurs whose remains have been recovered from Tendaguru. This fauna seems to show strong similarities to that of the Morrison Formation in the United States and the Lourinha Formation in Portugal. For example, similar theropods, ornithopods and sauropods have been found in both the Tendaguru and the Morrison. This has important biogeographical implications.

The Early Cretaceous in Africa is known primarily from the northern part of the continent, particularly Niger. Suchomimus, Elrhazosaurus, Rebbachisaurus, Nigersaurus, Kryptops, Nqwebasaurus, and Paranthodon are some of the Early Cretaceous dinosaurs known from Africa. The Early Cretaceous was an important time for the dinosaurs of Africa because it was when Africa finally separated from South America, forming the South Atlantic Ocean. This was an important event because now the dinosaurs of Africa started developing endemism because of isolation. The Late Cretaceous of Africa is known mainly from North Africa. During the early part of the Late Cretaceous, North Africa was home to a rich dinosaur fauna. It includes Spinosaurus, Carcharodontosaurus, Rugops, Bahariasaurus, Deltadromeus, Paralititan, Aegyptosaurus, and Ouranosaurus.

Criteria for inclusion

• The creature must appear on the List of dinosaur genera.
• Fossils of the creature must have been found in Africa.
• This list is a complement to Category:Dinosaurs of Africa.

List of African dinosaurs

Abrictosaurus.

Afrovenator.

Carcharodontosaurus.

Dicraeosaurus.

Elaphrosaurus.

Giraffatitan.

Heterodontosaurus.

Jobaria.

Kentrosaurus.

Lesothosaurus.

Massospondylus.

Paralititan.

Suchomimus.

Vulcanodon.

Nomen dubium

Invalid

Nomen nudum

Name	Period	Diet	Country	Notes
Aardonyx	Jurassic	herbivore	South Africa	A transitional form between primitive and advanced sauropodomorphs.
Abrictosaurus	Jurassic	herbivore	South Africa	A heterodontosaurid.
Adratiklit	Jurassic	herbivore	Morocco	the first stegosaur from North Africa.
Aegyptosaurus	Cretaceous	herbivore	Egypt, Niger	The remains of this sauropod were lost in World War II.
Aetonyx	Jurassic	herbivore	South Africa, Lesotho, Zimbabwe	Probably synonymous with Massospondylus
Afrovenator	Jurassic	carnivore	Niger	Once thought to be from the Cretaceous.
Algoasaurus	Jurassic/Cretaceous	herbivore	South Africa	A dubious sauropod.
Allosaurus	Jurassic	carnivore	Tanzania, USA, & Portugal	The African species is Allosaurus tendagurensis.
Angolatitan	Cretaceous	herbivore	Angola	The first non-avian dinosaur from Angola.
Antetonitrus	Triassic or Jurassic	herbivore	South Africa	One of the earliest true sauropods.
Arcusaurus	Jurassic	herbivore	South Africa	Named after the fact that South Africa was the "Rainbow Nation".
Atlasaurus	Jurassic	herbivore	Morocco	It had long legs for a sauropod.
Australodocus	Jurassic	herbivore	Tanzania	Probably an equivalent to Diplodocus of North America.
Bahariasaurus	Cretaceous	carnivore	Egypt,Niger, Morocco, Algeria	A poorly-known theropod.
Berberosaurus	Jurassic	carnivore	Morocco	A primitive ceratosaur.
Blikanasaurus	Triassic	herbivore	South Africa	Known from only a foot.
Carcharodontosaurus	Cretaceous	carnivore	Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Niger	One of the largest terrestrial carnivores.
Chebsaurus	Jurassic	herbivore	Algeria	One of the few known dinosaurs from Algeria.
Chenanisaurus	Cretaceous	carnivore	Morocco	A late-surviving abelisaur.
Coelophysis	Jurassic	carnivore	USA, South Africa, & Zimbabwe	African remains once classified as "Syntarsus" or "Megapnosaurus".
Cristatusaurus	Cretaceous	carnivore	Niger	Probably the same as Suchomimus.
Deltadromeus	Cretaceous	carnivore	Morocco, Algeria, Egypt	A poorly known theropod.
Dicraeosaurus	Jurassic	herbivore	Tanzania	Quite short-necked for a sauropod.
Dracovenator	Jurassic	carnivore	South Africa	A relative of Dilophosaurus.
Dysalotosaurus	Jurassic	herbivore	Tanzania	Remains once classified as Dryosaurus.
Elaphrosaurus	Jurassic	carnivore	Tanzania	A lightweight relative of Ceratosaurus.
Elrhazosaurus	Cretaceous	herbivore	Niger	One of the few dryosaurids to survive into the Cretaceous.
Eocarcharia	Cretaceous	carnivore	Niger	Known only from two pieces of a skull.
Eocursor	Triassic or Jurassic	herbivore	South Africa	One of the oldest ornithischians.
Eucnemesaurus	Triassic	herbivore	South Africa	An African relative of South America’s Riojasaurus.
Euskelosaurus	Triassic	herbivore	South Africa, Zimbabwe, Lesotho	Probably bow-legged.
Fabrosaurus	Jurassic	herbivore	Lesotho	Maybe the same as Lesothosaurus.
Geranosaurus	Jurassic	herbivore	South Africa	A poorly-known ornithischian.
Giraffatitan	Jurassic	herbivore	Tanzania	Once classified as "Brachiosaurus brancai".
Gyposaurus	Jurassic	herbivore	South Africa and China	It may be the same as another basal sauropodomorph.
Heterodontosaurus	Jurassic	omnivore	South Africa	It had three types of teeth in its mouth.
Ignavusaurus	Jurassic	herbivore	Lesotho	The name means "cowardly lizard".
Inosaurus	Cretaceous	carnivore	Egypt	A mysterious theropod.
Janenschia	Jurassic	herbivore	Tanzania	Named after paleontologist Werner Janensch.
Jobaria	Jurassic	herbivore	Niger	Like Afrovenator, it was once thought to be from the Cretaceous.
Kangnasaurus	Cretaceous	herbivore	South Africa	An obscure dryosaur.
Karongasaurus	Cretaceous	herbivore	Malawi	Only known from a lower jaw with some teeth.
Kentrosaurus	Jurassic	herbivore	Tanzania	An African relative of Stegosaurus.
Kryptops	Cretaceous	carnivore	Niger	Some have suggested it is a chimaera.
Lesothosaurus	Jurassic	herbivore	Lesotho	May be a thyreophoran.
Lihkoelesauus	Triassic	(unknown)	South Africa	Possibly not a dinosaur (disputed)
Lurdusaurus	Cretaceous	herbivore	Niger	Possibly a semi-aquatic, hippo-like herbivore.
Lycorhinus	Jurassic	omnivore	South Africa	Originally thought to be a non-mammalian therapsid.
Malawisaurus	Cretaceous	herbivore	Malawi	Has good skull material.
Massospondylus	Jurassic	herbivore	South Africa, Lesotho, Zimbabwe	Known from multiple remains.
Melanorosaurus	Triassic	herbivore	South Africa	One of the largest non-sauropods.
Ngwevu	Jurassic	Herbivore	South Africa	A basal sauropodomorph originally thought to be a Massospondylus.
Nigersaurus	Cretaceous	herbivore	Niger	It had an unusually-shaped head.
Nqwebasaurus	Cretaceous	omnivore	South Africa	Possibly one of the earliest ornithomimosaurs.
Nyasasaurus	Triassic	carnivore	Tanzania	It may be the earliest known dinosaur or a non-dinosaurian dinosauromorph. (disputed)
Ostafrikasaurus	Jurassic	carnivore	Tanzania	Possibly the earliest spinosaur.
Ouranosaurus	Cretaceous	herbivore	Niger	It had long spines on its back that may have supported a hump or sail.
Paralititan	Cretaceous	herbivore	Egypt	One of Africa's largest dinosaurs.
Paranthodon	Cretaceous	herbivore	South Africa	One of the few Cretaceous stegosaurs.
Pegomastax	Jurassic	omnivore	South Africa	It may have had spines on its back.
Plateosauravus	Triassic	herbivore	South Africa	May be the same as Euskelosaurus.
Rebbachisaurus	Cretaceous	herbivore	Morocco, Niger, Tunisia, Spain	A large, sail-backed sauropod.
Rugops	Cretaceous	carnivore	Niger	Holes on its skull may have supported a display structure.
Rukwatitan	Cretaceous	herbivore	Tanzania	Its closest relatives were from South America.
Saturnalia	Triassic	herbivore	Brazil & Zimbabwe	A basal sauropodomorph.
Sauroniops	Cretaceous	carnivore	Morocco	Named after the Eye of Sauron from the Lord of the Rings franchise.
Sigilmassasaurus	Cretaceous	carnivore	Morocco	May be the same as Spinosaurus.
Spinosaurus	Cretaceous	carnivore	Egypt & Morocco	Possibly the largest carnivorous dinosaur.
Spinophorosaurus	Jurassic	herbivore	Niger	It may have had a thagomizer like stegosaurs.
Spinostropheus	Jurassic	carnivore	Niger	A contemporary of Afrovenator and Jobaria.
Suchomimus	Cretaceous	carnivore	Niger	A crocodile-like fish eater.
Tataouinea	Cretaceous	herbivore	Tunisia	Named after the region of Tunisia where it was found.
Tazoudasaurus	Jurassic	herbivore	Morocco	One of the earliest true sauropods.
Tendaguria	Jurassic	herbivore	Tanzania	A poorly-known sauropod.
Thotobolosaurus	Triassic	herbivore	Lesotho	A nomen nudum until 2020.
Tornieria	Jurassic	herbivore	Tanzania	Remains originally identified as Barosaurus.
Veterupristisaurus	Jurassic	carnivore	Tanzania	Possibly the oldest carcharodontosaur.
Vulcanodon	Jurassic	herbivore	Zimbabwe	Once thought to be a carnivore.
Wamweracaudia	Jurassic	herbivore	Tanzania	Originally identified as Gigantosaurus.

Timeline

This is a timeline of selected dinosaurs from the list above. Time is measured in mya along the x-axis.

See also

• List of African birds