This is a list of

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 ...

s whose remains have been recovered from

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

. Africa has a rich fossil record, but it is patchy and incomplete. It is rich in

Triassic The Triassic ( ) is a geologic period and system which spans 50.6 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.36 Mya. The Triassic is the first and shortest period ...

and Early Jurassic dinosaurs. African dinosaurs from these time periods include '' Coelophysis'', '' Dracovenator'', ''

Melanorosaurus ''Melanorosaurus'' (meaning "Black Mountain Lizard", from the Greek ''melas/'', "black", ''oros/'', "mountain" + ''/'', "lizard") is a genus of basal sauropodomorph dinosaur that lived during the Late Triassic period. A herbivore from South Af ...

'', '' Massospondylus'', '' Euskelosaurus'', '' Heterodontosaurus'', '' Abrictosaurus'', and '' Lesothosaurus''. In the

Middle Jurassic The Middle Jurassic is the second epoch of the Jurassic Period. It lasted from about 174.1 to 163.5 million years ago. Fossils of land-dwelling animals, such as dinosaurs, from the Middle Jurassic are relatively rare, but geological formations co ...

, the sauropods ''

Atlasaurus ''Atlasaurus'' is a genus of sauropod dinosaurs from Middle Jurassic (Bathonian to Callovian stages) beds in North Africa.M. Monbaron, D. A. Russell, and P. Taquet. (1999). ''Atlasaurus imelakei'' n.g., n.sp., a brachiosaurid-like sauropod from t ...

'', ''

Chebsaurus ''Chebsaurus'' is a genus of quadrupedal, herbivorous, cetiosaurid sauropod dinosaur, specifically a eusauropod. It lived in present-day Algeria, in the Callovian aged Aïssa Formation. The type species, ''C. algeriensis'', was named in 2005 b ...

'', ''

Jobaria ''Jobaria'' is a genus of sauropod dinosaur that lived in what is now Niger during the middle Jurassic Period, between 164 and 161 million years ago. ''Jobaria'' is currently the only known valid sauropod from the Tiouraren, where it was discov ...

'', and ''

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 ...

'', flourished, as well as the theropod '' Afrovenator''. The Late Jurassic is well represented in Africa, mainly thanks to the spectacular Tendaguru Formation in

Lindi Region Lindi Region (''Mkoa wa Lindi'' in Swahili) is one of Tanzania's 31 administrative regions. The region covers an area of . The region is comparable in size to the combined land area of the nation state of Sri Lanka. The regional capital is the m ...

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 and ...

. ''

Veterupristisaurus ''Veterupristisaurus'' is an extinct genus of carcharodontosaurid theropod dinosaur known from the Jurassic of Tendaguru, Lindi Region of southeastern Tanzania. Discovery and naming ''Veterupristisaurus'' is known from the holotype specimen M ...

'', ''

Ostafrikasaurus ''Ostafrikasaurus'' is a genus of theropod dinosaur from the Late Jurassic period of what is now Lindi Region, Tanzania. It is known only from fossil teeth discovered sometime between 1909 and 1912, during an expedition to the Tendaguru Formatio ...

'', ''

Elaphrosaurus ''Elaphrosaurus'' ( ) is a genus of ceratosaurian theropod dinosaur that lived approximately 154 to 150 million years ago during the Late Jurassic Period in what is now Tanzania in Africa. ''Elaphrosaurus'' was a medium-sized but lightly built m ...

'', '' Giraffatitan'', '' Dicraeosaurus'', '' Janenschia'', '' Tornieria'', '' Tendaguria'', '' Kentrosaurus'', and ''

Dysalotosaurus ''Dysalotosaurus'' ("uncatchable lizard") is a genus of herbivorous iguanodontian dinosaur. It was a dryosaurid iguanodontian, and its fossils have been found in late Kimmeridgian-age rocks (Late Jurassic) of the Tendaguru Formation of Lindi Regi ...

'' are among the dinosaurs whose remains have been recovered from Tendaguru. This fauna seems to show strong similarities to that of the

Morrison Formation The Morrison Formation is a distinctive sequence of Late Jurassic, Upper Jurassic sedimentary rock found in the western United States which has been the most fertile source of dinosaur fossils in North America. It is composed of mudstone, sandsto ...

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 Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species and ecosystems in geographic space and through geological time. Organisms and biological communities often vary in a regular fashion along geographic gradients of latitude, elevation, i ...

implications. The

Early Cretaceous The Early Cretaceous ( geochronological name) or the Lower Cretaceous (chronostratigraphic name), is the earlier or lower of the two major divisions of the Cretaceous. It is usually considered to stretch from 145 Ma to 100.5 Ma. Geology Pro ...

in Africa is known primarily from the northern part of the continent, particularly

Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languagesSuchomimus ''Suchomimus'' (meaning "crocodile mimic") is a genus of spinosaurid dinosaur that lived between 125 and 112 million years ago in what is now Niger, during the Aptian to early Albian stages of the Early Cretaceous period. It was named and ...

'', ''

Elrhazosaurus ''Elrhazosaurus'' (meaning " Elrhaz lizard") is a genus of basal iguanodontian dinosaur, known from isolated bones found in Early Cretaceous rocks of Niger. These bones were initially thought to belong to a species of the related dryosaurid ' ...

'', ''

Rebbachisaurus ''Rebbachisaurus'' (meaning "Khebbash, Aït Rebbach lizard") is a genus of sauropod dinosaur of the superfamily Diplodocoidea, that lived during the Late Cretaceous period in Africa and possibly also South America about 99-97 million years ago. R ...

'', '' Nigersaurus'', '' Kryptops'', ''

Nqwebasaurus ''Nqwebasaurus'' (; anglicized as or ) is a basal coelurosaur and is the basal-most member of the coelurosaurian clade Ornithomimosauria from the Early Cretaceous of South Africa. The name ''Nqwebasaurus'' is derived from the Xhosa word "Nqweb ...

'', 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 South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

, forming the South Atlantic Ocean. This was an important event because now the dinosaurs of Africa started developing

endemism Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

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 ''Bahariasaurus'' (meaning "Bahariya lizard") is an enigmatic genus of large theropod dinosaur. ''Bahariasaurus'' is known to have included at least 1 species, ''Bahariasaurus ingens'', which was found in North African rock layers dating to the C ...

'', ''

Deltadromeus ''Deltadromeus'' (meaning "delta runner") is a genus of theropod dinosaur from Northern Africa. It had long, unusually slender hind limbs for its size, suggesting that it was a swift runner. The skull is not known. One fossil specimen of a sin ...

'', '' Paralititan'', ''

Aegyptosaurus ''Aegyptosaurus'' (meaning 'Egypt's lizard') is a genus of sauropod dinosaur that lived in what is now Africa, around 95 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous Period (Cenomanian faunal stage). Discovery and naming The holotype (1912V ...

'', and ''

Ouranosaurus ''Ouranosaurus'' is a genus of herbivorous basal hadrosauriform dinosaur that lived during the Aptian stage of the Early Cretaceous of modern-day Niger and Cameroon. ''Ouranosaurus'' measured about long. Two rather complete fossils were found in ...

''.

Criteria for inclusion

*The genus must appear on the List of dinosaur genera. *At least one named species of the creature must have been found in

. *This list is a complement to :Dinosaurs of Africa.

List of African dinosaurs

Valid genera

Invalid and potentially valid genera

Sigilmassasaurus brevicollis by PaleoGeek

* '' Aetonyx palustris'': A potential junior synonym of '' Massospondylus''. * '' Fabrosaurus australis'': Sometimes considered to be part of a family of small ornithischians called fabrosaurids. It may potentially be a synonym of '' Lesothosaurus''. * '' Gigantoscelus molengraafi'': Probably a synonym of '' Euskelosaurus'', but it cannot be confirmed. * ''

Gyposaurus ''Gyposaurus'' (meaning "vulture lizard", referring to the outdated hypothesis that prosauropods were carnivores) is a genus of basal sauropodomorph dinosaur from the early Jurassic of South Africa. It is usually considered to represent juveni ...

'': The African species, ''G. capensis'', be a juvenile of a contemporary sauropodomorph. A Chinese species has also been named, but it may not belong to this genus. * '' Hortalotarsus skirtopodus'': A possible synonym of '' Massospondylus''. * "

Likhoelesaurus This list of informally named dinosaurs is a listing of dinosaurs (excluding Aves; birds and their extinct relatives) that have never been given formally published scientific names. This list only includes names that were not properly published ...

": Suggested to be a giant, early carnosaur but might actually be a pseudosuchian. * '' Megapnosaurus'': The African species ''M. rhodesiensis'' might belong to the genus '' Coelophysis''. Another referred species, '' M. kayentakatae'', probably needs its own genus name, as the current one, "''Syntarsus''", is preoccupied by an insect. * '' Nyasasaurus parringtoni'': Described in 2013 as the oldest known dinosaur, dating back to the Anisian, but both this date and its classification have been questioned. * ''

Sigilmassasaurus brevicollis ''Sigilmassasaurus'' ( ; "Sijilmassa lizard") is an extremely controversial genus of spinosaurid dinosaur that lived approximately 100 to 94 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous Period in what is now northern Africa. Named in 1996 by Ca ...

'': A spinosaurid contemporary with '' Spinosaurus''; its status as a distinct genus and/or species is uncertain. * '' Torvosaurus'': Teeth originally named as '' Megalosaurus ingens'' have been reassigned to this genus, but not as a distinct species.

Timeline

This is a timeline of selected dinosaurs from the list above. Time is measured in

mya Mya may refer to: Brands and product names * Mya (program), an intelligent personal assistant created by Motorola * Mya (TV channel), an Italian Television channel * Midwest Young Artists, a comprehensive youth music program Codes * Burmese ...

along the x-axis. ImageSize = width:800px height:auto barincrement:15px PlotArea = left:10px bottom:50px top:10px right:10px Period = from:-250 till:-25 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:25 start:-250 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:5 start:-250 TimeAxis = orientation:hor AlignBars = justify Colors = #legends id:CAR value:claret id:HER value:teal id:OMN value:blue id:black value:black id:white value:white id:cretaceous value:rgb(0.3,0.75,0.1) id:jurassic value:rgb(0.3,0.75,0.4) id:triassic value:rgb(0.3,0.75,0.7) id:mesozoic value:rgb(0.3,0.6,0.4) BarData= bar:eratop bar:space bar:periodtop bar:space bar:NAM1 bar:NAM2 bar:NAM3 bar:NAM4 bar:NAM5 bar:NAM6 bar:NAM7 bar:NAM8 bar:NAM9 bar:NAM10 bar:NAM11 bar:NAM12 bar:NAM13 bar:NAM14 bar:NAM15 bar:NAM16 bar:NAM17 bar:NAM18 bar:NAM19 bar:NAM20 bar:NAM21 bar:NAM22 bar:NAM23 bar:NAM24 bar:NAM25 bar:NAM26 bar:NAM27 bar:NAM28 bar:NAM29 bar:NAM30 bar:NAM31 bar:NAM32 bar:NAM33 bar:NAM34 bar:NAM35 bar:NAM36 bar:NAM37 bar:NAM38 bar:NAM39 bar:NAM40 bar:NAM41 bar:NAM42 bar:NAM43 bar:NAM44 bar:NAM45 bar:NAM46 bar:NAM47 bar:NAM48 bar:NAM49 bar:NAM50 bar:NAM51 bar:NAM52 bar:NAM53 bar:NAM54 bar:NAM55 bar:NAM56 bar:NAM57 bar:NAM58 bar:space bar:period bar:space bar:era PlotData= align:center textcolor:black fontsize:M mark:(line,black) width:25 shift:(7,-4) bar:periodtop from: -145 till: -65 color:cretaceous text:

Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of th ...

from: -200 till: -145 color:jurassic text:

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately Mya. The J ...

from: -250 till: -200 color:triassic text:

bar:eratop from: -250 till: -65 color:mesozoic text:

Mesozoic The Mesozoic Era ( ), also called the Age of Reptiles, the Age of Conifers, and colloquially as the Age of the Dinosaurs is the second-to-last era of Earth's geological history, lasting from about , comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceo ...

PlotData= align:left fontsize:M mark:(line,white) width:5 anchor:till align:left color:HER bar:NAM1 from:-216 till:-208 text: Antetonitrus color:HER bar:NAM2 from:-216 till:-208 text:

Blikanasaurus ''Blikanasaurus'' is a genus of sauropodomorph dinosaur from the late Triassic of South Africa. The generic name ''Blikanasaurus'' is derived from Greek, meaning "lizard from Blikana". The species name ''cromptoni'' is taken from the surname of ...

color:OMN bar:NAM3 from:-216 till:-208 text:

Eucnemesaurus ''Eucnemesaurus'' (; meaning "good tibia lizard", for its robust tibiae) is a basal sauropodomorph dinosaur genus usually considered to be a synonym of ''Euskelosaurus''. Recent study by Yates (2006), however, indicates that it is valid and the ...

color:HER bar:NAM4 from:-216 till:-208 text: Euskelosaurus color:HER bar:NAM5 from:-216 till:-208 text:

color:HER bar:NAM6 from:-216 till:-208 text:

Plateosauravus ''Plateosauravus'' ("grandfather of ''Plateosaurus''") is a basal plateosaurian of uncertain affinities from the Late Triassic Elliot Formation of South Africa. Sidney Haughton named ''Plateosaurus cullingworthi'' in 1924 from a partial skeleto ...

color:HER bar:NAM7 from:-205 till:-201 text:

Vulcanodon ''Vulcanodon'' (meaning "volcano tooth") is an extinct genus of sauropod dinosaur from the Early Jurassic of southern Africa. The only known species is ''V. karibaensis''. Discovered in 1969 in Zimbabwe, it was regarded as the earliest-known sau ...

color:OMN bar:NAM8 from:-200 till:-198 text:

Eocursor ''Eocursor'' (meaning "dawn runner") is genus of basal ornithischian dinosaur that lived in what is now South Africa during the Early Jurassic. Remains of this animal have been found in the Upper Elliot Formation and it is among the most comple ...

color:HER bar:NAM9 from:-200 till:-197 text:

Tazoudasaurus ''Tazoudasaurus'' is a genus of vulcanodontidae, vulcanodontid sauropod dinosaurs hailing from the Early Jurassic, located in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco in North Africa. Along with ''Ohmdenosaurus'' is one of the two formally described s ...

color:OMN bar:NAM10 from:-200 till:-190 text: Stormbergia color:HER bar:NAM11 from:-201.3 till:-190.8 text: Massospondylus color:HER bar:NAM12 from:-199 till:-196 text: Abrictosaurus color:HER bar:NAM13 from:-201.3 till:-190.8 text: Heterodontosaurus color:HER bar:NAM14 from:-199 till:-195 text: Lycorhinus color:HER bar:NAM15 from:-199 till:-189 text:

Lanasaurus ''Lycorhinus'' is a genus of heterodontosaurid ornithischian dinosaur from the Early Jurassic (Hettangian to Sinemurian ages) strata of the Elliot Formation located in the Cape Province, South Africa. Description ''Lycorhinus'', including the r ...

color:HER bar:NAM16 from:-201.3 till:-190.8 text: Lesothosaurus color:CAR bar:NAM17 from:-196 till:-194 text: Megapnosaurus color:CAR bar:NAM18 from:-196 till:-194 text: Dracovenator color:HER bar:NAM19 from:-196 till:-189 text:

color:CAR bar:NAM20 from:-185 till:-183 text:

Berberosaurus ''Berberosaurus'' (meaning " Berber lizard", in reference to the Berbers of Morocco) is a genus of neotheropod dinosaur, possibly a ceratosaur, from the Early Toarcian-age (Lower Jurassic) Azilal Formation found in the High Atlas of Toundoute, Ou ...

color:HER bar:NAM21 from:-171 till:-167 text:

Adratiklit ''Adratiklit'' (meaning "mountain lizard") is an extinct genus of herbivorous stegosaurian dinosaur that lived on the supercontinent Gondwana during the Middle Jurassic period (168–164 million years ago). The genus contains a single species, '' ...

color:HER bar:NAM22 from:-171 till:-167 text:

Spicomellus ''Spicomellus'' (meaning "collar of spikes") is an extinct genus of herbivorous ankylosaurian dinosaur that lived in the supercontinent Gondwana during the Middle Jurassic Period. The type and only known species is ''Spicomellus afer'', named ...

color:HER bar:NAM23 from:-168 till:-161 text:

color:HER bar:NAM24 from:-165 till:-160 text:

color:CAR bar:NAM25 from:-174.1 till:-161 text: Afrovenator color:CAR bar:NAM26 from:-164 till:-161 text:

Spinostropheus ''Spinostropheus'' is a genus of carnivorous ceratosaurian theropod dinosaur that lived in the Middle Jurassic period and has been found in the Tiouraren Formation, Niger. The type species, type and only species is ''S. gautieri''. History of d ...

color:HER bar:NAM27 from:-155.7 till:-145 text: Dicraeosaurus color:HER bar:NAM28 from:-155 till:-150 text: Janenschia color:HER bar:NAM29 from:-155.7 till:-150.8 text:

color:HER bar:NAM30 from:-155.7 till:-145 text: Kentrosaurus color:CAR bar:NAM31 from:-155.7 till:-150.8 text: Ceratosaurus color:HER bar:NAM32 from:-152 till:-148 text: Australodocus color:HER bar:NAM33 from:-152 till:-148 text: Tornieria color:CAR bar:NAM34 from:-155.7 till:-145 text:

color:HER bar:NAM35 from:-155.7 till:-145 text: Giraffatitan color:HER bar:NAM36 from:-150 till:-145 text: Malawisaurus color:HER bar:NAM37 from:-150 till:-145 text: Tendaguria color:HER bar:NAM38 from:-145 till:-140 text: Paranthodon color:HER bar:NAM39 from:-144 till:-112 text:

Valdosaurus ''Valdosaurus'' ("Weald Lizard") is a genus of bipedal herbivorous iguanodont ornithopod dinosaur found on the Isle of Wight and elsewhere in England, Spain and possibly also Romania. It lived during the Early Cretaceous. Discovery and naming I ...

color:CAR bar:NAM40 from:-145 till:-132.9 text:

color:HER bar:NAM41 from:-168.3 till:-163.5 text:

color:HER bar:NAM42 from:-121 till:-112 text:

Lurdusaurus ''Lurdusaurus'' ("heavy lizard") is a genus of massive and unusually shaped iguanodont dinosaur from the Elrhaz Formation in Niger. It contains one species, ''L. arenatus''. The formation dates to the Early Cretaceous, roughly 112 million years ...

color:CAR bar:NAM43 from:-116 till:-112 text:

Cristatusaurus ''Cristatusaurus'' is a genus of theropod dinosaur that lived during the Early Cretaceous Period of what is now Niger, 112 million years ago. It was a baryonychine member of the Spinosauridae, a group of large bipedal carnivores with well-built ...

color:CAR bar:NAM44 from:-125 till:-100.5 text:

Suchomimus ''Suchomimus'' (meaning "crocodile mimic") is a genus of spinosaurid dinosaur that lived between 125 and 112 million years ago in what is now Niger, during the Aptian to early Albian stages of the Early Cretaceous period. It was named and ...

color:CAR bar:NAM45 from:-116 till:-112 text: Kryptops color:CAR bar:NAM46 from:-116 till:-112 text:

Eocarcharia ''Eocarcharia'' (meaning "dawn shark") is a genus of carcharodontosaurid theropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Elrhaz Formation that lived in the Sahara 112 million years ago, in what today is the country of Niger. It was discovered in 2 ...

color:HER bar:NAM47 from:-125 till:-100.5 text:

color:HER bar:NAM48 from:-125 till:-100.5 text: Nigersaurus color:CAR bar:NAM49 from:-99.6 till:-93.5 text: Spinosaurus color:HER bar:NAM50 from:-101 till:-97 text:

color:CAR bar:NAM51 from:-99.6 till:-93.5 text: Carcharodontosaurus color:HER bar:NAM52 from:-99 till:-93 text: Paralititan color:CAR bar:NAM53 from:-99 till:-93 text:

Sigilmassasaurus ''Sigilmassasaurus'' ( ; "Sijilmassa lizard") is an extremely controversial genus of spinosaurid dinosaur that lived approximately 100 to 94 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous Period in what is now northern Africa. Named in 1996 by C ...

color:HER bar:NAM54 from:-97 till:-93 text:

color:CAR bar:NAM55 from:-97 till:-93 text:

color:CAR bar:NAM56 from:-97 till:-93 text:

color:CAR bar:NAM57 from:-68 till:-66 text: Chenanisaurus color:CAR bar:NAM58 from:-97 till:-93 text: Rugops PlotData= align:center textcolor:black fontsize:M mark:(line,black) width:25 bar:period from: -145 till: -65 color:cretaceous text:

from: -200 till: -145 color:jurassic text:

from: -250 till: -200 color:triassic text:

bar:era from: -250 till: -65 color:mesozoic text:

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of African Dinosaurs *

†Dinosaurs Articles which contain graphical timelines

Criteria for inclusion

List of African dinosaurs

Valid genera

Invalid and potentially valid genera

Timeline

See also

References