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 Syntarsus, Dracovenator, Melanorosaurus, Massospondylus, Euskelosaurus, Heterodontosaurus, Abrictosaurus, and Lesothosaurus. The Middle Jurassic is poorly represented in Africa. Only the sauropod Cetiosaurus has been discovered dating from this time period. The Late Jurassic, however, is well represented in Africa, mainly thanks to the spectacular Tendaguru Formation. Allosaurus, Ceratosaurus, Elaphrosaurus, Giraffatitan, Dicraeosaurus, Janenschia, Tornieria, Tendaguria, Kentrosaurus, and Dryosaurus 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, Allosaurus, Ceratosaurus, and Dryosaurus 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, Spinostropheus, 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.
List of African dinosaurs
Name Period Diet[1] Notes Aardonyx Jurassic herbivore — Abrictosaurus Jurassic herbivore — Aegyptosaurus Cretaceous herbivore — Aetonyx Jurassic herbivore Probably synonymous with Massospondylus Afrovenator Jurassic carnivore — Algoasaurus Jurassic/Cretaceous herbivore — Allosaurus Jurassic carnivore — Angolatitan Cretaceous herbivore — Antetonitrus Triassic herbivore — Arcusaurus Jurassic herbivore — Atlasaurus Jurassic herbivore — Australodocus Jurassic herbivore — Bahariasaurus Cretaceous carnivore — Baryonyx Cretaceous carnivore — Berberosaurus Jurassic carnivore — Blikanasaurus Triassic herbivore — Carcharodontosaurus Cretaceous carnivore — Ceratosaurus Jurassic carnivore — Cetiosaurus Jurassic herbivore — Chebsaurus Jurassic herbivore — Coelophysis Jurassic carnivore — Cristatusaurus Cretaceous carnivore — Deltadromeus Cretaceous carnivore — Dicraeosaurus Jurassic herbivore — Dracovenator Jurassic carnivore — Dysalotosaurus Jurassic herbivore — Elaphrosaurus Jurassic carnivore — Elrhazosaurus Cretaceous herbivore — Eocarcharia Jurassic carnivore — Eocursor Triassic herbivore — Eucnemesaurus Triassic (disputed) — Euskelosaurus Triassic herbivore — Fabrosaurus Jurassic herbivore — Geranosaurus Jurassic (unknown) — Giraffatitan Jurassic herbivore — Gyposaurus Jurassic herbivore — Heterodontosaurus Jurassic herbivore — Ignavusaurus Jurassic herbivore — Inosaurus Cretaceous (unknown) — Janenschia Jurassic herbivore — Jobaria Cretaceous herbivore — Kangnasaurus Cretaceous (unknown) — Karongasaurus Cretaceous herbivore — Kemkemia Cretaceous carnivore — Kentrosaurus Jurassic herbivore — Kryptops Cretaceous carnivore — Lanasaurus Jurassic herbivore — Lesothosaurus Jurassic herbivore — Likhoelesaurus Triassic (unknown) Possibly not a dinosaur (disputed) Lurdusaurus Cretaceous herbivore — Lycorhinus Jurassic herbivore — Malawisaurus Cretaceous herbivore — Massospondylus Jurassic herbivore — Megapnosaurus Jurassic carnivore — Melanorosaurus Triassic herbivore — Nigersaurus Cretaceous herbivore — Nqwebasaurus Cretaceous carnivore — Nyasasaurus Triassic herbivore earliest known dinosaur Ostafrikasaurus Jurassic carnivore — Ouranosaurus Cretaceous herbivore — Paralititan Cretaceous herbivore — Paranthodon Cretaceous herbivore — Pegomastax Jurassic herbivore — Plateosauravus Triassic herbivore — Rebbachisaurus Cretaceous herbivore — Rugops Cretaceous carnivore — Rukwatitan Cretaceous herbivore — Sauroniops Cretaceous carnivore — Sigilmassasaurus Cretaceous carnivore — Spinosaurus Cretaceous carnivore — Spinophorosaurus Jurassic herbivore — Spinostropheus Cretaceous carnivore — Stormbergia Jurassic (unknown) — Suchomimus Cretaceous carnivore — Tataouinea Cretaceous herbivore — Tazoudasaurus Jurassic herbivore — Tendaguria Jurassic herbivore — Thotobolosaurus Triassic herbivore — Tornieria Jurassic herbivore — Veterupristisaurus Jurassic carnivore — Vulcanodon Jurassic herbivore —
Key
| Nomen dubium |
| Invalid |
| Nomen nudum |
Timeline
This is a timeline of selected dinosaurs from the list above. Time is measured in mya along the x-axis.
Criteria for inclusion
- The creature must appear on the List of dinosaurs.
- Fossils of the creature must have been found in Africa.
- This list is a complement to Category:Dinosaurs of Africa.
Notes
- ^ Diet is sometimes hard to determine for dinosaurs and should be considered a "best guess"
Lists of dinosaurs by continent | ||
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| Non-avian dinosaurs |
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| Birds | ||