|
Aïn El Guettar Formation
The Aïn el Guettar Formation is a geological Formation (geology), formation in Tunisia, whose strata date back to the Aptian, Late Aptian to Albian, Late Albian stages of the Cretaceous period. The lithology consists of coarse sandstones with occasional conglomerates and mudstones. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Early Cretaceous, Africa)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 571-573. . Stratigraphy The Aïn el Guettar Formation is divided into at least 3 members, which represent different depositional environments. In ascending order these are: the Chenini Member, the Oum ed Diab Member and the Jebel El Mra Member. Vertebrate paleofauna The Ain el Guettar Formation during the Early Cretaceous period was a marsh-like habitat with swamps and plenty of water. The most ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Douiret Formation
The Douiret Formation is a geologic Formation (geology), formation in Tunisia, near the Berber village of Douiret. It is part of the larger Continental intercalaire, Continental Intercalaire Formation, which stretches from Algeria and Niger in the west to Egypt and Sudan in the east. The Douiret Formation is located in the Tataouine Governorate, Tataouine basin in southern Tunisia, stretching into Algeria and Libya, and is part of the Merbah el Asfer Group of rock formations. The Douiret is 80 metres thick and consists of a 30-metre layer of sand beneath a 50-metre layer of clay. A few fossil-bearing beds have been discovered in the sand layer. The fossils range from the Aptian to Albian period and include freshwater and marginal marine Hybodontiformes, sharks, Rajiformes, skates, Actinopterygii, fish, Pleurodira, turtles, Crocodyliformes, crocodilians, Ornithocheiroidea, pterosaurs, brachiopod, bivalves, pollens and plants, including trees. The fish are the most abundant type of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carcharodontosaurus
''Carcharodontosaurus'' (; ) is a genus of large carnivorous theropod dinosaur that lived in Northwest Africa from about 100 to 94 million years ago during the Cenomanian age of the Cretaceous. Two teeth of the genus, now lost, were first described from Algeria by French paleontologists Charles Depéret and Justin Savornin as ''Megalosaurus saharicus''. A partial skeleton initially referred to this genus was collected by crews of German paleontologist Ernst Stromer during a 1914 expedition to Egypt. Stromer did not report the Egyptian find until 1931, in which he dubbed the novel genus ''Carcharodontosaurus'', making the type species ''C. saharicus''. Although this skeleton was destroyed during the Second World War, it was subsequently redescribed as the holotype of a distinct carcharodontosaurid genus, '' Tameryraptor''. In 1995, a nearly complete skull of ''C. saharicus,'' the first well-preserved specimen to be found in almost a century, was discovered in the Kem Ke ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sauropoda
Sauropoda (), whose members are known as sauropods (; from ''wikt:sauro-, sauro-'' + ''wikt:-pod, -pod'', 'lizard-footed'), is a clade of saurischian ('lizard-hipped') dinosaurs. Sauropods had very long necks, long tails, small heads (relative to the rest of their body), and four thick, pillar-like legs. They are notable for the enormous sizes attained by some species, and the group includes the largest animals to have ever lived on land. Well-known genus, genera include ''Apatosaurus'', ''Argentinosaurus'', ''Alamosaurus'', ''Brachiosaurus'', ''Camarasaurus'', ''Diplodocus,'' and ''Mamenchisaurus''. The oldest known unequivocal sauropod dinosaurs are known from the Early Jurassic. ''Isanosaurus'' and ''Antetonitrus'' were originally described as Triassic sauropods, but their age, and in the case of ''Antetonitrus'' also its sauropod status, were subsequently questioned. Sauropod-like sauropodomorph tracks from the Fleming Fjord Formation (Greenland) might, however, indicate the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Iguanodontidae
Iguanodontidae is a family of iguanodontians belonging to Styracosterna, a derived clade within Ankylopollexia. The clade is formally defined in the ''PhyloCode'' by Daniel Madzia and colleagues in 2021 as "the largest clade containing '' Iguanodon bernissartensis'', but not '' Hadrosaurus foulkii''". Characterized by their elongated maxillae, they were herbivorous and typically large in size. This family exhibited locomotive dynamism; there exists evidence for both bipedalism and quadrupedalism within iguanodontid species, supporting the idea that individual organisms were capable of both locomoting exclusively with their hind limbs and locomoting quadrupedally. Iguanodontids possess hoof-like second, third, and fourth digits, and in some cases, a specialized thumb spike and an opposable fifth digit. Their skull construction allows for a strong chewing mechanism called a transverse power stroke. This, paired with their bilateral dental occlusion, made them extremely effective ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tataouinea Skeleton
''Tataouinea'' is an extinct genus of sauropod dinosaur in the subfamily Rebbachisaurinae of Rebbachisauridae which lived in the Early Cretaceous of Tunisia. Only one species, ''T. hannibalis'', is known. Discovery and naming The first known elements of the holotype were discovered in the Aïn el Guettar Formation in 2011 by Aldo Luigi Bacchetta, but he was unable to excavate the specimen until 2012. The remains were subsequently studied by Federico Fanti, Andrea Cau, Mohsen Hassine and Michela Contessi. The genus was named in 2013. The name refers to the Tataouine Governatorate, Tunisia, and Hannibal. In 2015 more material of the holotype specimen was uncovered after the initial description were analysed. These included additional tail vertebrae. Description Its bones were extensively pneumatic, providing strong support for the theory that sauropods had birdlike respiratory systems. Key characteristics of its vertebral morphology show that ''Tatouinea'' was a rebbachisau ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sauropod
Sauropoda (), whose members are known as sauropods (; from '' sauro-'' + '' -pod'', 'lizard-footed'), is a clade of saurischian ('lizard-hipped') dinosaurs. Sauropods had very long necks, long tails, small heads (relative to the rest of their body), and four thick, pillar-like legs. They are notable for the enormous sizes attained by some species, and the group includes the largest animals to have ever lived on land. Well-known genera include '' Apatosaurus'', '' Argentinosaurus'', '' Alamosaurus'', ''Brachiosaurus'', '' Camarasaurus'', '' Diplodocus,'' and '' Mamenchisaurus''. The oldest known unequivocal sauropod dinosaurs are known from the Early Jurassic. '' Isanosaurus'' and '' Antetonitrus'' were originally described as Triassic sauropods, but their age, and in the case of ''Antetonitrus'' also its sauropod status, were subsequently questioned. Sauropod-like sauropodomorph tracks from the Fleming Fjord Formation (Greenland) might, however, indicate the occurrence of the g ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tataouinea
''Tataouinea'' is an extinct genus of sauropod dinosaur in the subfamily Rebbachisaurinae of Rebbachisauridae which lived in the Early Cretaceous of Tunisia. Only one species, ''T. hannibalis'', is known. Discovery and naming The first known elements of the holotype were discovered in the Ain el Guettar Formation, Aïn el Guettar Formation in 2011 by Aldo Luigi Bacchetta, but he was unable to excavate the specimen until 2012. The remains were subsequently studied by Federico Fanti, Andrea Cau, Mohsen Hassine and Michela Contessi. The genus was named in 2013. The name refers to the Tataouine Governatorate, Tunisia, and Hannibal. In 2015 more material of the holotype specimen was uncovered after the initial description were analysed. These included additional tail vertebrae. Description Its bones were extensively pneumatic, providing strong support for the theory that sauropods had birdlike respiratory systems. Key characteristics of its vertebral morphology show that ''Tato ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spinosaurus UDL
''Spinosaurus'' (; ) is a genus of large spinosaurid theropod dinosaurs that lived in what now is North Africa during the Cenomanian stage of the Late Cretaceous period, about 100 to 94 million years ago. The genus was known first from Egyptian remains discovered in 1912 and described by German palaeontologist Ernst Stromer in 1915. The original remains were destroyed in World War II, but additional material came to light in the early 21st century. It is unclear whether one or two species are represented in the fossils reported in the scientific literature. The type species ''S. aegyptiacus'' is mainly known from Egypt and Morocco. Although a potential second species, ''S. maroccanus'', has been recovered from Morocco, this dubious species is likely a junior synonym of ''S. aegyptiacus''. Other possible junior synonyms include ''Sigilmassasaurus'' from the Kem Kem beds in Morocco and ''Oxalaia'' from the Alcântara Formation in Brazil, though other researchers propose bot ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
