Thursday, December 13, 2007

Carcharodontosaurus iguidensis


Photo courtesy S. Brusatte, U Bristol; graphic courtesy S. Powell, U Bristol.
A 95-million-year-old fossil jawbone belonging to a new species of dinosaur dubbed Carcharodontosaurus iguidensis.

From National Geographic News the latest "It's bigger than T. rex!" story:

At about 14 meters long, the species is among the largest meat-eating dinos that ever lived. Carcharodontosaurus was first described based on two fossil teeth recovered in the 1920s that have since been lost. The only previously named species from the genus, C. saharicus, was described from a single fossil skull found by Sereno in Morocco in 1996.

Subtle differences in the new Niger skull suggested that it belonged to a distinct species—a suspicion now confirmed following detailed examination, Brusatte said.

It's published in the latest JVP.