Ostafrikasaurus

genus of reptiles (fossil)

Ostafrikasaurus was a carnivorous theropod dinosaur from the Late Jurassic of southeastern Tanzania.[1] It is known only from a fossil tooth that is 49 mm (1.9 in) long. Paleontologist Eric Buffetaut claims it is the oldest evidence of a Spinosaurid dinosaur (a type of crocodile-like dinosaur that ate fish); It appeared 148 million years ago.[2]

Ostafrikasaurus
Temporal range: Late Jurassic, (Tithonian) 152.1–145 Ma
Speculative restoration and holotype tooth
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Clade: Saurischia
Clade: Theropoda
Family: Spinosauridae
Genus: Ostafrikasaurus
Buffetaut, 2012
Species:
O. crassiserratus
Binomial name
Ostafrikasaurus crassiserratus
Buffetaut, 2012

References change

  1. Buffetaut, Eric (2012). "An early spinosaurid dinosaur from the Late Jurassic of Tendaguru (Tanzania) and the evolution of the spinosaurid dentition". Oryctos. 10: 1–8.
  2. Rauhut, Oliver W. M. (2011). "Theropod dinosaurs from the Late Jurassic of Tendaguru (Tanzania)". Special Papers in Palaeontology. 86: 195–239.