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''Ostafrikasaurus'' is a
genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of
theropod Theropoda (; ), whose members are known as theropods, is a dinosaur clade that is characterized by hollow bones and three toes and claws on each limb. Theropods are generally classed as a group of saurischian dinosaurs. They were ancestrally c ...
dinosaur Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is t ...
from the
Late Jurassic The Late Jurassic is the third epoch of the Jurassic Period, and it spans the geologic time from 163.5 ± 1.0 to 145.0 ± 0.8 million years ago (Ma), which is preserved in Upper Jurassic strata.Owen 1987. In European lithostratigraphy, the name ...
period Period may refer to: Common uses * Era, a length or span of time * Full stop (or period), a punctuation mark Arts, entertainment, and media * Period (music), a concept in musical composition * Periodic sentence (or rhetorical period), a concept ...
of what is now Lindi Region,
Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...
. It is known only from
fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...
teeth discovered sometime between 1909 and 1912, during an expedition to the
Tendaguru Formation The Tendaguru Formation, or Tendaguru Beds are a highly fossiliferous formation and Lagerstätte located in the Lindi Region of southeastern Tanzania. The formation represents the oldest sedimentary unit of the Mandawa Basin, overlying Neoproter ...
by the
Natural History Museum A natural history museum or museum of natural history is a scientific institution with natural history collections that include current and historical records of animals, plants, fungi, ecosystems, geology, paleontology, climatology, and more. ...
of Berlin. Eight teeth were originally attributed to the
dubious Doubt is a mental state in which the mind remains suspended between two or more contradictory propositions, unable to be certain of any of them. Doubt on an emotional level is indecision between belief and disbelief. It may involve uncertainty ...
dinosaur genus '' Labrosaurus'', and later to ''
Ceratosaurus ''Ceratosaurus'' (from Greek κέρας/κέρατος, ' meaning "horn" and σαῦρος ' meaning "lizard") was a carnivorous theropod dinosaur in the Late Jurassic period ( Kimmeridgian to Tithonian). The genus was first described in 1 ...
'', both known from the North American Morrison Formation. Subsequent studies attributed two of these teeth to a
spinosaurid The Spinosauridae (or spinosaurids) are a clade or family of tetanuran theropod dinosaurs comprising ten to seventeen known genera. They came into prominence during the Cretaceous period. Spinosaurid fossils have been recovered worldwide, includi ...
dinosaur, and in
2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
, ''Ostafrikasaurus crassiserratus'' was named by French
palaeontologist Paleontology (), also spelled palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene epoch (roughly 11,700 years before present). It includes the study of fossi ...
Eric Buffetaut The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* ain ...
, with one tooth as the
holotype A holotype is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism, known to have been used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of sever ...
, and the other referred to the same species. The generic name comes from the German word for German East Africa, the former name of the colony in which the fossils were found, while the specific name comes from the Latin words for "thick" and "
serrated Serration is a saw-like appearance or a row of sharp or tooth-like projections. A serrated cutting edge has many small points of contact with the material being cut. By having less contact area than a smooth blade or other edge, the applied p ...
", in reference to the
form Form is the shape, visual appearance, or configuration of an object. In a wider sense, the form is the way something happens. Form also refers to: *Form (document), a document (printed or electronic) with spaces in which to write or enter data ...
of the animal's teeth. ''Ostafrikasaurus'' has been tentatively estimated at long and weighing . The holotype tooth is long, has a curved front edge, and is oval-shaped in cross section. The tooth shows serrations that—for spinosaur standards—are unusually large, more so than in any other known
taxon In biology, a taxon ( back-formation from '' taxonomy''; plural taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular n ...
. Both the front and back cutting edges are serrated, with two to four denticles per mm (0.04 in). The tooth also has longitudinal ridges on both sides, and the outermost enamel layer has a wrinkled texture in the regions between and without ridges. Among the oldest known spinosaurid fossils, ''Ostafrikasaurus'' may be of importance in understanding the evolutionary origins of spinosaurids and their anatomical adaptations. From comparisons with its later relatives, ''Ostafrikasaurus'' indicates that spinosaur teeth became more conical and lost their serrations throughout their evolution. This is possibly a result of becoming more specialized for a
piscivorous A piscivore () is a carnivorous animal that eats primarily fish. The name ''piscivore'' is derived . Piscivore is equivalent to the Greek-derived word ichthyophage, both of which mean "fish eater". Fish were the diet of early tetrapod evoluti ...
(fish-eating) diet, as has been suggested for the
family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
based on fossil evidence and the
semiaquatic In biology, semiaquatic can refer to various types of animals that spend part of their time in water, or plants that naturally grow partially submerged in water. Examples are given below. Semiaquatic animals Semi aquatic animals include: * Ve ...
adaptations exhibited by many species. They are also known to have fed on
pterosaur Pterosaurs (; from Greek ''pteron'' and ''sauros'', meaning "wing lizard") is an extinct clade of flying reptiles in the order, Pterosauria. They existed during most of the Mesozoic: from the Late Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous (228 ...
s and other dinosaurs. ''Ostafrikasaurus'' lived in a subtropical to
tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...
environment alongside many other dinosaurs, as well as
pterosaur Pterosaurs (; from Greek ''pteron'' and ''sauros'', meaning "wing lizard") is an extinct clade of flying reptiles in the order, Pterosauria. They existed during most of the Mesozoic: from the Late Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous (228 ...
s,
crocodyliforms Crocodyliformes is a clade of crurotarsan archosaurs, the group often traditionally referred to as "crocodilians". They are the first members of Crocodylomorpha to possess many of the features that define later relatives. They are the only pseudo ...
, fish, mammals, and
invertebrate Invertebrates are a paraphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''backbone'' or ''spine''), derived from the notochord. This is a grouping including all animals apart from the chordate ...
s. Due to its age and location, ''Ostafrikasaurus'' indicates spinosaurids may have been globally distributed prior to the breakup of
Pangaea Pangaea or Pangea () was a supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras. It assembled from the earlier continental units of Gondwana, Euramerica and Siberia during the Carboniferous approximately 335 million y ...
.


History of research

During the time of the German colonial empire, the
Museum für Naturkunde The Natural History Museum (german: Museum für Naturkunde) is a natural history museum located in Berlin, Germany. It exhibits a vast range of specimens from various segments of natural history and in such domain it is one of three major muse ...
(Natural History Museum) of Berlin arranged an expedition in German East Africa (now
Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...
) that took place from 1909 to 1912, and is now regarded by scientists as one of the largest expeditions in palaeontological history. Most of the excavations were situated in the southeastern
Tendaguru Formation The Tendaguru Formation, or Tendaguru Beds are a highly fossiliferous formation and Lagerstätte located in the Lindi Region of southeastern Tanzania. The formation represents the oldest sedimentary unit of the Mandawa Basin, overlying Neoproter ...
, a
fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...
-rich site part of the
Mandawa Basin Mandawa is a town in Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan in India. It is part of Shekhawati region. Mandawa is located at . It has an average elevation of 316 metres (1036 ft). History The town of Mandawa was a thikana of Jaipur Sta ...
dated to the
Late Jurassic The Late Jurassic is the third epoch of the Jurassic Period, and it spans the geologic time from 163.5 ± 1.0 to 145.0 ± 0.8 million years ago (Ma), which is preserved in Upper Jurassic strata.Owen 1987. In European lithostratigraphy, the name ...
period Period may refer to: Common uses * Era, a length or span of time * Full stop (or period), a punctuation mark Arts, entertainment, and media * Period (music), a concept in musical composition * Periodic sentence (or rhetorical period), a concept ...
. Among the many
dinosaur Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is t ...
fossils retrieved from the dig sites were 230 specimens of
theropod Theropoda (; ), whose members are known as theropods, is a dinosaur clade that is characterized by hollow bones and three toes and claws on each limb. Theropods are generally classed as a group of saurischian dinosaurs. They were ancestrally c ...
teeth. One of these was an isolated tooth catalogued as MB R 1084, found either nearby or atop Tendaguru Hill at the Upper Dinosaur
Member Member may refer to: * Military jury, referred to as "Members" in military jargon * Element (mathematics), an object that belongs to a mathematical set * In object-oriented programming, a member of a class ** Field (computer science), entries in ...
. It was originally attributed to the
species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
'' Labrosaurus''? ''stechowi'' in 1920 by German
palaeontologist Paleontology (), also spelled palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene epoch (roughly 11,700 years before present). It includes the study of fossi ...
Werner Janensch Werner Ernst Martin Janensch (11 November 1878 – 20 October 1969) was a German paleontologist and geologist. Biography Janensch was born at Herzberg (Elster). In addition to Friedrich von Huene, Janensch was probably Germany's most impo ...
, based on comparable ornamentation to a tooth described as ''Labrosaurus'' ''sulcatus'' by
Othniel Charles Marsh Othniel Charles Marsh (October 29, 1831 – March 18, 1899) was an American professor of Paleontology in Yale College and President of the National Academy of Sciences. He was one of the preeminent scientists in the field of paleontology. Among ...
.W. Janensch, 1920, "Ueber ''Elaphrosaurus bambergi'' und die Megalosaurier aus den Tendaguru-Schichten Deutsch-Ostafrikas", ''Sitzungsberichte der Gesellschaft Naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin'' 1920: 225–235 A detailed monograph by Janensch published in 1925 assigned MB R 1084, as well as eight teeth from the Middle Dinosaur Member to ''L.''? ''stechowi'' and divided them into five
morphotype In biology, polymorphism is the occurrence of two or more clearly different morphs or forms, also referred to as alternative ''phenotypes'', in the population of a species. To be classified as such, morphs must occupy the same habitat at the s ...
s (from a to e). In 2000, American palaeontologists James Madsen and Samuel Welles referred the ''L.''? ''stechowi'' teeth to ''
Ceratosaurus ''Ceratosaurus'' (from Greek κέρας/κέρατος, ' meaning "horn" and σαῦρος ' meaning "lizard") was a carnivorous theropod dinosaur in the Late Jurassic period ( Kimmeridgian to Tithonian). The genus was first described in 1 ...
'' sp''.'' (of uncertain species), because they resembled teeth from the
premaxilla The premaxilla (or praemaxilla) is one of a pair of small cranial bones at the very tip of the upper jaw of many animals, usually, but not always, bearing teeth. In humans, they are fused with the maxilla. The "premaxilla" of therian mammal has ...
and
dentary In anatomy, the mandible, lower jaw or jawbone is the largest, strongest and lowest bone in the human facial skeleton. It forms the lower jaw and holds the lower teeth in place. The mandible sits beneath the maxilla. It is the only movable bone ...
jaw bones of ''Ceratosaurus'', a theropod from the North American Morrison Formation. In 2007, American palaeontologist Denver Fowler instead proposed that the teeth were those of a
spinosaurid The Spinosauridae (or spinosaurids) are a clade or family of tetanuran theropod dinosaurs comprising ten to seventeen known genera. They came into prominence during the Cretaceous period. Spinosaurid fossils have been recovered worldwide, includi ...
dinosaur similar to ''
Baryonyx ''Baryonyx'' () is a genus of theropod dinosaur which lived in the Barremian stage of the Early Cretaceous period, about 130–125 million years ago. The first skeleton was discovered in 1983 in the Smokejack Clay Pit, of Surrey, England, in s ...
'', which would make it among the oldest known spinosaurid fossils and thus some of the earliest evidence of the group. This analysis was maintained by French palaeontologist
Eric Buffetaut The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* ain ...
, who examined the teeth that year, and in a 2008 paper referred specimen MB R 1084 to the Spinosauridae. Bufetaut found that this specimen differed from other teeth previously referred to ''L.''? ''stechowi'', and that another isolated tooth (MB R 1091) from the Middle Dinosaur Member might represent the same animal. He also questioned Janensch's provisional assignment of the teeth to the dubious
genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
''Labrosaurus'', which was based on scant remains from the Morrison Formation that were later attributed to ''
Allosaurus ''Allosaurus'' () is a genus of large carnosaurian theropod dinosaur that lived 155 to 145 million years ago during the Late Jurassic epoch ( Kimmeridgian to late Tithonian). The name "''Allosaurus''" means "different lizard" alludin ...
.'''''' Furthermore, Buffetaut noted that the ''L''. ''sulcatus'' tooth illustrated by Marsh is now regarded as belonging to ''Ceratosaurus''. Similarly, ''L''. ''stechowi'' has been relegated as a
dubious Doubt is a mental state in which the mind remains suspended between two or more contradictory propositions, unable to be certain of any of them. Doubt on an emotional level is indecision between belief and disbelief. It may involve uncertainty ...
ceratosauria Ceratosaurs are members of the clade Ceratosauria, a group of dinosaurs defined as all theropods sharing a more recent common ancestor with ''Ceratosaurus'' than with birds. The oldest known ceratosaur, '' Saltriovenator'', dates to the earliest ...
n related to ''Ceratosaurus''.Tykoski, Ronald S.; and Rowe, Timothy. (2004). "Ceratosauria", in ''The Dinosauria'' (2nd). 47–70. In 2011, German palaeontologist Oliver Rauhut considered the Middle Dinosaur Member teeth ascribed to ''L.''? ''stechowi'' as lacking diagnostic
characters Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
(unique derived traits), concurring that the species is a dubious name. Rauhut noted that they can still be differentiated from other theropod teeth from the Tendaguru Formation, based on their slight recurvature and sideways flattening of the tooth
crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...
, and broad ridges on the lingual flank (which faced the inside of the mouth). He recognized ''L. sulcatus'' as a dubious name, since the tooth referred to it was shown only in a single illustration and not properly described in text. In addition, the original remains of ''Labrosaurus'' did not include teeth, and an additional species, ''Labrosaurus ferox'' (now considered synonymous with ''Allosaurus fragillis''), was based on a dentary bone bearing teeth of different
morphology Morphology, from the Greek and meaning "study of shape", may refer to: Disciplines * Morphology (archaeology), study of the shapes or forms of artifacts * Morphology (astronomy), study of the shape of astronomical objects such as nebulae, galaxies ...
to those of ''L. sulcatus''. Thus, Rauhut concluded there was no basis for attributing the Tendaguru teeth to ''Labrosaurus''. He tentatively referred all of them except MB R 1084 to ''Ceratosaurus'' (under the name ''Ceratosaurus''? ''stechowi''), on the basis of anatomical similarities with teeth from that genus. According to Rauhut, the different features between Janensch's type b, c, e, and d teeth did not represent distinct
taxa In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; plural taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular nam ...
, but rather variation along the tooth row in the animal's jaws. Rauhut also attributed another tooth (MB R 1093) described by Janensch, yet not referred to ''L.''? ''stechowi'', to the same taxon. Rauhut also found that Janensch's type a (MB R 1084) was distinct in form from the other eight teeth, and possibly represented a different taxon closely related to ''C.''? ''stechowi''. He listed some differences between it and the other teeth originally referred to ''L''.? ''stechowi'': MB R 1084 has more lingual ridges (up to eleven) and three ridges and grooves on the
labial The term ''labial'' originates from '' Labium'' (Latin for "lip"), and is the adjective that describes anything of or related to lips, such as lip-like structures. Thus, it may refer to: * the lips ** In linguistics, a labial consonant ** In zoolog ...
side, which faced the outside of the mouth. Moreover, some of MB R 1084's ridges are confined to the base of the crown, joined by longer ridges extending throughout almost the whole length of the crown, with a high region at the tip of the tooth lacking any ornamentation. Additionally, ridges are present over almost the entire front three-fifths of the crown, whereas the rear two-fifths are smooth. Towards the front of the tooth, the ridged part is separated from the
carina Carina may refer to: Places Australia * Carina, Queensland, a suburb in Brisbane * Carina Heights, Queensland, a suburb in Brisbane * Carina, Victoria, a locality in Mildura Serbia * Carina, Osečina, a village in the Kolubara District ...
(cutting edge) by an area that is slightly concave front to back. The only similarities between MB R 1084 and the Middle Dinosaur Member teeth lie in their general shape and density of their
serration Serration is a saw-like appearance or a row of sharp or tooth-like projections. A serrated cutting edge has many small points of contact with the material being cut. By having less contact area than a smooth blade or other edge, the applied p ...
s, as all teeth have 10 denticles per on the rear carina and 13 denticles per on the front carina. In a
2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
paper, Buffetaut used MB R 1084 as the
holotype specimen A holotype is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism, known to have been used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of several ...
for the new
genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
and
species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
''Ostafrikasaurus crassiserratus'', describing it as an early spinosaurid theropod. Its generic name is derived from the German name of the colony in which the fossils were found, ''Deutsch-Ostafrika,'' meaning "German East Africa", combined with the
Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
('), meaning "lizard" or "reptile". The specific name comes from the
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
'','' meaning "thick"; and '','' meaning "serrated", in reference to the large serrations of its teeth. Due to similarities with MB R 1084, Buffetaut assigned MB R 1091 from the Middle Dinosaur Member to the same species. Both teeth have a curved front carina, no side to side curvature, and a comparable shape in cross section. Their main differences include MB R 1091 having five lengthwise ridges on its lingual side compared to MB R 1084's ten, the ridges on the former being less extensive. MB R 1091 also had less wrinkled
tooth enamel Tooth enamel is one of the four major tissues that make up the tooth in humans and many other animals, including some species of fish. It makes up the normally visible part of the tooth, covering the crown. The other major tissues are dentin, ...
. Buffetaut notes that these differences could be explained by
individual variation In biology, polymorphism is the occurrence of two or more clearly different morphs or forms, also referred to as alternative ''phenotypes'', in the population of a species. To be classified as such, morphs must occupy the same habitat at the s ...
within the taxon, but since both teeth originated from different members of the Tendaguru Formation, the referral is only tentative. Buffetaut elaborated on the differences between the teeth of ''Ostafrikasaurus crassiserratus'' and Janensch's ''L.''? ''stechowi'' morphotypes. Morphotype b (MB R 1083 and 1087) teeth had both front to back and side to side curvature, and a D-shaped cross section. Morphotype c (MB R 1090) was curved side to side but not front to back, was not flattened from side to side, had a rounded front with no carina, and bore five strong ridges on its lingual side, but none on its labial flank. Morphotype e (MB R 1092) resembled a typical theropod tooth. It is strongly flattened from side to side, curved from front to back, shows 3 denticles per millimetre (0.04 in), its front carina does not extend to the base of the crown, and there is no ornamentation aside from some weak furrowing of the crown, and two incipient ridges on the lingual side. In 2020, a study of teeth from the Tendaguru Formation and from the Late Jurassic of South America again suggested a ceratosaurid identification for ''Ostafrikasaurus.''


Description

In 2016, Spanish palaeontologists Molina-Pérez and Larramendi estimated ''Ostafrikasaurus'' at about long, tall at the hips and weighing . However, without more complete material, such as a skull or body fossil, the body size and weight of fragmentary spinosaur taxa, especially those known only from teeth, can not be reliably calculated. Thus estimates are only tentative. The holotype tooth is thick, somewhat flattened sideways, and in length from top to bottom. Its tip has been rounded by
erosion Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as water flow or wind) that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust, and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is dis ...
and the base is not fully preserved. The tooth crown has well-defined carinae (cutting edges), with the front carina being curved and the back carina almost straight. There is only mild side-to-side curvature. Both carinae are serrated, with rounded denticles perpendicular to the edge of the tooth. The serrations have no inderdenticle sulci, or grooves, in between them. They line the front carina from the base to its tip, and probably also did on the back carina, whose base has been largely eroded. Towards the tip of the tooth, these serrations are very worn down (especially on the front carina). On the front carina, there are two denticles per mm (0.04 in) near the tip of the tooth, and three to four per mm (0.04 in) as the denticles shrink towards the base of the crown. There are two denticles per mm (0.04 in) all along the back carina. The serrations are notably larger than in all other known spinosaurids. The enamel (outermost layer) of the tooth bears a series of ridges on its surface – 10 on the lingual side, and four fainter, less extensive ones on the labial side. The gaps between ridges are wide at most. None of the ridges on either side reach the tip of the crown. There is a wide region at the front of the tooth on both sides that lacks ridges; a similar area on the rear of the tooth side diminishes in width, from as it approaches the tip of the crown. On both sides of the tooth, between the ridges and ridge-less parts of the teeth, the enamel surface is finely wrinkled.


Classification

Spinosaurids are usually separated into two subfamilies: Baryonychinae and
Spinosaurinae The Spinosauridae (or spinosaurids) are a clade or family of tetanuran theropod dinosaurs comprising ten to seventeen known genera. They came into prominence during the Cretaceous period. Spinosaurid fossils have been recovered worldwide, includi ...
. In regards to dental traits, baryonychines are characterized by slightly curved, finely-serrated teeth with more oval cross sections, while spinosaurine teeth are straight, bear highly reduced or completely absent serrations, have more circular cross sections, and bear prominent flutes (lengthwise grooves) on their enamel.'''' In 2007, Fowler interpreted the ''L''.? ''stechowi'' teeth as representing a possible primitive baryonychine or ancestral form to baryonychines, since they share features, such as tightly packed
serration Serration is a saw-like appearance or a row of sharp or tooth-like projections. A serrated cutting edge has many small points of contact with the material being cut. By having less contact area than a smooth blade or other edge, the applied p ...
s, stout shape, marginally flattened tooth crowns, and ridges on their lingual face, typically associated with that clade. In 2008, Buffetaut separated only Janensch's morphotype a (MB R 1084) and d (MB R 1091) as having baryonychine characteristics, which in the former included its general form, somewhat flattened cross section, finely wrinkled enamel, ridges that do not reach the tip of the tooth, and having more ridges on the lingual than labial side. In MB R 1091, only one side of the tooth has ridges, which can also be observed in the teeth of ''Baryonyxs holotype specimen. Furthermore, Buffetaut added that the only resemblance the other types (b, c, and e) share with Janensch's type a and d is ridges covering part of the tooth c rown, while in all other aspects, such as their shape and cross section, they are substantially different. In Buffetaut's analysis, types b, c, and e are probably ceratosaurid in origin, while type a likely represents an early spinosaurid that is different from Early Cretaceous baryonychines. Rauhut doubted this interpretation in 2011, stating that MB R 1084 has more similarities than differences with ''Ceratosaurus''? ''stechowi'' teeth, like the rounded cross section, only marginal curvature of the crown, a more convex lingual than labial side, and similar size and shape of the denticles. Thus, according to his analysis, only the ridge count and distribution were left as unique to MB R 1084. Rauhut noted that though baryonychines also have ridges on either side of their teeth, they are usually most developed at the rear of the tooth, whereas MB R 1084 lacks ridges on that side. He also asserts that the wrinkling Buffetaut observed in MB R 1084's enamel is very faint and largely restricted to the lingual side, compared to the more conspicuously grainy texture of ''Baryonyx'' teeth. According to Rauhut, though MB R 1084 is potentially spinosaurid in origin, it shares only generic resemblance to baryonychine teeth, and instead probably represents a close relative of ''Ceratosaurus''? ''stechowi''. In Buffetaut's 2012 naming of ''Ostafrikasaurus'', he placed it in the Spinosauridae, asserting instead that the tooth is very much akin to those of baryonychines including ''Baryonyx''. Among their shared dental features he included the slight sideways-flattening of the crown, fine enamel wrinkles, and ridges on both sides that do not reach the tooth tip, and are stronger and more numerous on the lingual than labial face. If this identification is correct, ''Ostafrikasaurus'' represents some of the earliest known evidence of spinosaurids. The naming and distinction of new dinosaurs based solely on teeth has been frequently considered problematic by palaeontologists, such as with the debated identity of the Asian genus ''
Siamosaurus ''Siamosaurus'' (meaning "Siam reptile") is a genus of spinosaurid dinosaur that lived in what is now known as China and Thailand during the Early Cretaceous period (Barremian to Aptian) and is the first reported spinosaurid from Asia. It is ...
''.'''' Buffetaut stated that with thorough comparison and analysis of morphological features such as ornamentation, theropod teeth can be sufficiently diagnostic enough to raise new taxa. Furthermore, spinosaurid teeth in particular share a unique morphology very divergent to those of other theropods. Nevertheless, the precise identification of ''Ostafrikasaurus'' is still unclear, and researchers have pointed out similarities in its enamel ornamentation with ''Ceratosaurus'', ''
Paronychodon ''Paronychodon'' (meaning "beside claw tooth") was a theropod dinosaur genus. It is a tooth taxon, often considered dubious because of the fragmentary nature of the fossils, which include "buckets" of teeth from many disparate times and places b ...
'', ''
Zapsalis ''Zapsalis'' is a genus of dromaeosaurine theropod dinosaurs. It is a tooth taxon, often considered dubious because of the fragmentary nature of the fossils, which include teeth but no other remains. Etymology The generic name is derived from ...
'', ''
Acheroraptor ''Acheroraptor'' is an extinct genus of dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur known from the latest Maastrichtian Hell Creek Formation of Montana, United States. It contains a single species, ''Acheroraptor temertyorum''. ''A. temertyorum'' is ...
'', and ''
Coelophysis ''Coelophysis'' ( traditionally; or , as heard more commonly in recent decades) is an extinct genus of coelophysid theropod dinosaur that lived approximately 228 to 201.3 million years ago during the latter part of the Triassic Period fro ...
''.


Evolution

Fowler in 2007 put forward the possibility of spinosaurids having evolved from
ceratosauria Ceratosaurs are members of the clade Ceratosauria, a group of dinosaurs defined as all theropods sharing a more recent common ancestor with ''Ceratosaurus'' than with birds. The oldest known ceratosaur, '' Saltriovenator'', dates to the earliest ...
n ancestors, given that baryonychine teeth have ridges on their crowns reminiscent to those seen on the premaxillary and dentary teeth of ''Ceratosaurus''. In 2008, Buffetaut rejected this proposal, citing that the D-shaped cross section of said ''Ceratosaurus'' teeth is not present in those of baryonychines. The main difference between MB R 1084 and all other known spinosaurid teeth, as Buffetaut noted, was in the large size of the denticles borne by the carinae. This led him to hypothesize in 2008 that spinosaurid dental evolution was largely characterized by the shrinking and eventual loss of serrations. In 2012, Buffetaut posited that this pattern would begin with large serrations in primitive Jurassic taxa like ''Ostafrikasaurus'' (from the Tithonian
age Age or AGE may refer to: Time and its effects * Age, the amount of time someone or something has been alive or has existed ** East Asian age reckoning, an Asian system of marking age starting at 1 * Ageing or aging, the process of becoming older ...
), which resembled those of typical, similarly sized theropods. These would then evolve into the fine, reduced, and more numerous serrations of Early Cretaceous baryonychines, like ''Baryonyx'' from the
Barremian The Barremian is an age in the geologic timescale (or a chronostratigraphic stage) between 129.4 ± 1.5 Ma (million years ago) and 121.4 ± 1.0 Ma). It is a subdivision of the Early Cretaceous Epoch (or Lower Cretaceous Series). It is precede ...
of Europe, and '' Suchomimus'' from the Aptian to
Albian The Albian is both an age of the geologic timescale and a stage in the stratigraphic column. It is the youngest or uppermost subdivision of the Early/Lower Cretaceous Epoch/ Series. Its approximate time range is 113.0 ± 1.0 Ma to 100.5 ± 0 ...
of West Africa''.'' ''Baryonyx'', for example, had seven denticles per mm (0.04 in) in comparison to ''Ostafrikasauruss two to four. Finally, the denticles would disappear entirely in spinosaurines such as ''
Spinosaurus ''Spinosaurus'' (; ) is a genus of spinosaurid dinosaur that lived in what now is North Africa during the Cenomanian to upper Turonian stages of the Late Cretaceous period, about 99 to 93.5 million years ago. The genus was known first f ...
'' from the Albian to
Turonian The Turonian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, the second age in the Late Cretaceous Epoch, or a stage in the Upper Cretaceous Series. It spans the time between 93.9 ± 0.8 Ma and 89.8 ± 1 Ma (million years ago). The Turonian is preceded b ...
of North Africa.'''' Buffetaut points out that the heavily diminished serrations in taxa like ''Siamosaurus'', from the Barremian of Thailand, seem to represent an intermediate form. He also noted similarities between ''Ostafrikasaurus'''s dentition and a set of ''Baryonyx''-like teeth from the pre- Aptian Cabao Formation of Libya, with potentially important biogeographical implications. These teeth are similar in their general shape, oval-cross section, and wrinkled crown surface, but differ in having smaller serrations, and flutes instead of ridges. In conjunction with their disappearing serrations, the cross sections of spinosaur teeth were initially blade-like and lenticular in earlier taxa like ''Ostafrikasaurus'' and ''Baryonyx'', and became more circular in derived forms like ''Spinosaurus''. The ornamentation of spinosaur tooth enamel, however, developed more irregularly than their serrations and cross section shape. Most non-avian theropods generally had smooth teeth with, at most, minimal wrinkles. ''Ostafrikasaurus'' teeth in contrast bore strong lengthwise ridges, a feature also seen in ''Baryonyx'' and its close relatives, though their prominence varies between taxa. ''Spinosaurus'' teeth, like those of typical theropods, were usually smooth, and Asian forms like ''Siamosaurus'' exhibited an increase in the amount of dental ridges. Furthermore, the tooth crown was wrinkled in ''Ostafrikasaurus'', ''Baryonyx'', and ''Suchomimus'', and Asian spinosaurids, but smooth in ''Spinosaurus'', with only some specimens of the latter showing fine wrinkles. In 2016, Spanish palaeontologist Aleandro Serrano-Martínez and colleagues described a possible spinosaurid tooth, catalogued as MUPE HB-87, from the Irhazer Shale of Niger. Found in association with a skeleton of the sauropod dinosaur ''
Spinophorosaurus ''Spinophorosaurus'' is a genus of sauropod dinosaur that lived in what is now Niger during the Middle Jurassic period. The first two specimens were excavated in the 2000s by German and Spanish teams under difficult conditions. The skeletons w ...
'', the tooth likely dates to the
Bathonian In the geologic timescale the Bathonian is an age and stage of the Middle Jurassic. It lasted from approximately 168.3 Ma to around 166.1 Ma (million years ago). The Bathonian Age succeeds the Bajocian Age and precedes the Callovian Age. Str ...
stage of the Middle Jurassic, 14 million years prior to ''Ostafrikasaurus''. If this identification is correct, MUPE HB-87 represents the oldest known evidence of spinosaurids in the fossil record. Based on this specimen, the authors proposed a new evolutionary model for the transition between "normal" theropod teeth, to those of spinosaurids. The tooth is oval in cross section, is recurved, and bears small serrations, as well as strong fluting that does not reach the tip of the crown. However, this specimen has been noted by other researchers to possess many non-spinosaurid features, these researchers instead favoring a megalosaurid identification.


Palaeobiology

Though no skull material has been discovered for ''Ostafrikasaurus'', it is known that spinosaurid skulls resembled those of crocodiles; they were long, low, narrow and expanded at their front ends into a terminal rosette-like shape, with a robust
secondary palate The secondary palate is an anatomical structure that divides the nasal cavity from the oral cavity in many vertebrates. In human embryology, it refers to that portion of the hard palate that is formed by the growth of the two palatine shelves medi ...
on the roof of the mouth that made them more resistant to stress and bending. In contrast, the primitive and typical condition for theropods was a tall, broader and wedge-like snout with a less developed secondary palate. The skull adaptations of spinosaurids converged with those of crocodilians; early members of the latter group had skulls similar to typical non-avian (or non-bird) theropods, later developing elongated snouts, conical teeth, and secondary palates. These adaptations may have been the result of a dietary change from terrestrial prey to fish.Supplementary Information
/ref> In 2012, Buffetaut suggested that the reduction of serrations on spinosaurid teeth illustrated by ''Ostafrikasaurus'' may represent a transition during this shift in diet. Most theropod dinosaurs have recurved, blade-like teeth with serrated carinae for slicing through flesh, whereas spinosaurid teeth evolved to be straighter, more conical, and have small or nonexistent serrations. Such dentition is seen in living piscivorous predators such as
gharials Gavialidae is a family of large semiaquatic crocodilians with elongated, narrow snouts. Gavialidae consists of two living species, the gharial (''Gavialis gangeticus'') and the false gharial (''Tomistoma schlegelii''), both occurring in Asia. M ...
, as it is better suited for piercing and maintaining grip on slippery aquatic prey so it can be swallowed whole, rather than torn apart.


Palaeoenvironment and palaeobiogeography

The Upper Dinosaur Member of the Tendaguru Formation is composed mostly of siltstones,
calcareous Calcareous () is an adjective meaning "mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate", in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines. In zoology ''Calcareous'' is used as an ad ...
sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...
s, and claystone
bed A bed is an item of furniture that is used as a place to sleep, rest, and relax. Most modern beds consist of a soft, cushioned mattress on a bed frame. The mattress rests either on a solid base, often wood slats, or a sprung base. Many beds ...
s. These rocks likely date back to the Tithonian stage of the Late Jurassic Period, approximately 152.1 to 145 million years ago. However, the precise chronological boundary between the Early Cretaceous and Late Jurassic of the Tendaguru Formation is still unclear. ''Ostafrikasaurus habitat would have been subtropical to
tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...
, shifting between periodic rainfall and pronounced dry seasons. Three types of palaeoenvironments were present at the Tendaguru Formation, the first was a shallow water marine setting with
lagoon A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') ...
-like conditions shielded behind shoals of
ooid Ooids are small (commonly ≤2 mm in diameter), spheroidal, "coated" (layered) sedimentary grains, usually composed of calcium carbonate, but sometimes made up of iron- or phosphate-based minerals. Ooids usually form on the sea floor, mo ...
and
siliciclastic Siliciclastic (or ''siliclastic'') rocks are clastic noncarbonate sedimentary rocks that are composed primarily of silicate minerals, such as quartz or clay minerals. Siliciclasic rock types include mudrock, sandstone, and conglomerate Conglomera ...
rocks, evidently subjected to tides and storms. The second was a coastal environment of
tidal flats Mudflats or mud flats, also known as tidal flats or, in Ireland, slob or slobs, are coastal wetlands that form in intertidal areas where sediments have been deposited by tides or rivers. A global analysis published in 2019 suggested that tidal f ...
, consisting of
brackish water Brackish water, sometimes termed brack water, is water occurring in a natural environment that has more salinity than freshwater, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing seawater (salt water) and fresh water together, as in estuari ...
lakes, ponds, and fluvial channels. There was little plant life at this ecosystem for sauropod dinosaurs to feed on and most dinosaurs likely came to the area only during droughts. The third and most inland habitat would have been dominated by conifer plants in a well-vegetated area, offering a large feeding ground for sauropods. The Tendaguru Formation was home to a diverse abundance of organisms.
Invertebrate Invertebrates are a paraphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''backbone'' or ''spine''), derived from the notochord. This is a grouping including all animals apart from the chordate ...
s like bivalves,
gastropods The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. The ...
,
oyster Oyster is the common name for a number of different families of salt-water bivalve molluscs that live in marine or brackish habitats. In some species, the valves are highly calcified, and many are somewhat irregular in shape. Many, but not ...
s,
echinoderm An echinoderm () is any member of the phylum Echinodermata (). The adults are recognisable by their (usually five-point) radial symmetry, and include starfish, brittle stars, sea urchins, sand dollars, and sea cucumbers, as well as the s ...
s,
arthropod Arthropods (, (gen. ποδός)) are invertebrate animals with an exoskeleton, a segmented body, and paired jointed appendages. Arthropods form the phylum Arthropoda. They are distinguished by their jointed limbs and cuticle made of chiti ...
s,
brachiopod Brachiopods (), phylum Brachiopoda, are a phylum of trochozoan animals that have hard "valves" (shells) on the upper and lower surfaces, unlike the left and right arrangement in bivalve molluscs. Brachiopod valves are hinged at the rear end, w ...
s,
coral Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and ...
s, and many
microfauna Microfauna (Ancient Greek ''mikros'' "small" + New Latin ''fauna'' "animal") refers to microscopic animals and organisms that exhibit animal-like qualities. Microfauna are represented in the animal kingdom (e.g., nematodes, small arthropods) and t ...
, including
ostracod Ostracods, or ostracodes, are a class of the Crustacea (class Ostracoda), sometimes known as seed shrimp. Some 70,000 species (only 13,000 of which are extant) have been identified, grouped into several orders. They are small crustaceans, typi ...
s,
foraminifera Foraminifera (; Latin for "hole bearers"; informally called "forams") are single-celled organisms, members of a phylum or class of amoeboid protists characterized by streaming granular ectoplasm for catching food and other uses; and commonly ...
, charophytes, and
palynomorphs Palynology is the "study of dust" (from grc-gre, παλύνω, palynō, "strew, sprinkle" and ''-logy'') or of "particles that are strewn". A classic palynologist analyses particulate samples collected from the air, from water, or from deposit ...
are known from the deposits. Sauropod dinosaurs were prominent in the region, represented by '' Giraffatitan brancai'', '' Dicraeosaurus hansemanni'' and '' D. sattleri'', '' Australodocus bohetii'', ''
Janenschia robusta ''Janenschia'' (named after Werner Janensch) is a large herbivorous sauropod dinosaur from the Late Jurassic Tendaguru Formation of Lindi Region, Tanzania around 155 million years ago. Discovery and naming ''Janenschia'' has had a convoluted ...
'', ''Tornieria'' ''africana'', '' Tendaguria tanzaniensis'', ''
Wamweracaudia keranjei ''Wamweracaudia'' is a large herbivorous sauropod dinosaur from the Late Jurassic Tendaguru Formation of Tanzania, Africa, 155-145 million years ago. Discovery and naming During the German expeditions to the Tendaguru in German East Africa betwe ...
'', as well as indeterminate
diplodocids Diplodocids, or members of the family Diplodocidae ("double beams"), are a group of sauropod dinosaurs. The family includes some of the longest creatures ever to walk the Earth, including ''Diplodocus'' and '' Supersaurus'', some of which may ha ...
,
flagellicaudata Flagellicaudata is a clade of Dinosauria. It belongs to Sauropoda and includes two families, the Dicraeosauridae and the Diplodocidae. Phylogeny The clade Flagellicaudata was erected by Harris and Dodson (2004) for the diplodocoid clade formed ...
ns, and
turiasauria Turiasauria is an unranked clade of basal sauropod dinosaurs known from Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous deposits in Europe, North America, and Africa. Description Turiasauria was originally erected by Royo-Torres et al. (2006) to include '' ...
ns.Philip D Mannion, Paul Upchurch, Daniela Schwarz, Oliver Wings, 2019, "Taxonomic affinities of the putative titanosaurs from the Late Jurassic Tendaguru Formation of Tanzania: phylogenetic and biogeographic implications for eusauropod dinosaur evolution", ''Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society'', zly068, https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zly068 They would have coexisted with low-browsing ornithischians like the
ornithopod Ornithopoda () is a clade of ornithischian dinosaurs, called ornithopods (), that started out as small, bipedal running grazers and grew in size and numbers until they became one of the most successful groups of herbivores in the Cretaceous wo ...
'' Dysalotosaurus lettowvorbecki'', and the stegosaurian '' Kentrosaurus aethiopicus.'''''' Theropods besides ''Ostafrikasaurus'' included the
carcharodontosaurid Carcharodontosauridae (carcharodontosaurids; from the Greek καρχαροδοντόσαυρος, ''carcharodontósauros'': "shark-toothed lizards") is a group of carnivorous theropod dinosaurs. In 1931, Ernst Stromer named Carcharodontosauridae ...
''Veterupristisaurus'' ''milneri'' and the
noasaurid Noasauridae is an extinct family of theropod dinosaurs belonging to the group Ceratosauria. They were closely related to the short-armed abelisaurids, although most noasaurids had much more traditional body types generally similar to other ther ...
''Elaphrosaurus bambergi''. Fragmentary fossils also indicate the presence of a basal ceratosaurid (''Ceratosaurus''? ''stechowi'') and Tetanurae, tetanuran, an unidentified abelisauroid, as well as a possible Abelisauridae, abelisaurid, carcharodontosaurid, and Megalosauroidea, megalosauroid. Other vertebrates that shared this environment included
pterosaur Pterosaurs (; from Greek ''pteron'' and ''sauros'', meaning "wing lizard") is an extinct clade of flying reptiles in the order, Pterosauria. They existed during most of the Mesozoic: from the Late Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous (228 ...
s such as Tendaguripterus recki, ''Tendaguripterus'' ''recki'', and an indeterminate Dsungaripteroidea, dsungaripteroid, Azhdarchidae, azhdarchid, and possible Archaeopterodactyloidea, archaeopterodactyloid. There was also the dwarf Crocodyliformes, crocodyliform ''Bernissartia'' sp., lissamphibian amphibians, Paramacellodidae, paramacellodid lizards, and various small mammals, including Brancatherulum tendagurense, ''Brancatherulum'' ''tendagurense'', ''Allostaffia aenigmatica,'' ''Tendagurodon janenschi'', ''Tendagurutherium dietrichi'', and multiple unidentified Symmetrodonta, symmetrodonts. The aquatic fauna of the region has been revealed by fossils of the actinopterygiian ''Lepidotes tendaguriensis'' and ''L.'' sp.'','' the Batoidea, ray ''Engaibatis schultzei'', and Hybodonts, hybodont sharks like ''Hybodus'' sp''.,'' ''Lonchidion'' sp., and ''Sphenodus'' sp. The flora of the Tendaguru Formation was equally varied, with vegetation consisting of Araucariaceae, araucarians, cypresses, cycads, Taxaceae, yews, Cheirolepidiaceae, Ginkgoaceae, and Prasinophyta. There were also dinoflagellate and Zygnemataceae algae, as well as numerous pollen and spore taxa. In 2007, Fowler noted that a baryonychine identification for the ''L''.? ''stechowi'' teeth would suit biogeographical models proposed at the time for spinosaur evolution and distribution, which assumed an origin for the group in the southern supercontinent Gondwana, with later spread and diversification in Europe. In 2012, Buffetaut noted that the presence of such a Basal (phylogenetics), basal genus as ''Ostafrikasaurus'' in Africa does not necessarily indicate that spinosaurids originated there. Instead, the group may have been widespread early in its evolutionary history, with other taxa inhabiting North America, Europe, and the rest of Gondwana contemporaneously with ''Ostafrikasaurus''. Buffetaut deemed this especially likely due to the discovery of spinosaurid fossils in Asia, which was likely separated from the other continents during much of the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous as
Pangaea Pangaea or Pangea () was a supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras. It assembled from the earlier continental units of Gondwana, Euramerica and Siberia during the Carboniferous approximately 335 million y ...
continued breaking apart, thus how the group arrived in Asia is still uncertain. An early Cosmopolitan distribution, global distribution for the group was also deemed probable by authors such as Stephen L. Brusatte, Stephen Brusatte and colleagues in 2010, and Ronan Allain and colleagues in 2012, the latter having suggested that such a spread may have occurred earlier across Pangaea, prior to its breakup starting in the Late Jurassic. The palaeobiogeography of spinosaurids remains poorly understood, and was likely very complex, given discoveries in Asia and possibly Australia, as well as the resemblance between some European and Asian taxa.Elisabete Malafaia; José Miguel Gasulla; Fernando Escaso; Iván Narváez; José Luis Sanz; Francisco Ortega (2019). "A new spinosaurid theropod (Dinosauria: Megalosauroidea) from the late Barremian of Vallibona, Spain: Implications for spinosaurid diversity in the Early Cretaceous of the Iberian Peninsula". Cretaceous Research. in press: 104221. .


References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2671476 Spinosaurids Late Jurassic dinosaurs of Africa Fossil taxa described in 2012 Tendaguru fauna Taxa named by Éric Buffetaut