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Carcharodontosaurus saharicus

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description Carcharodontosaurus saharicus Overview

Carcharodontosaurus saharicus was a large theropod dinosaur that lived in North Africa during the Late Cretaceous. Named for teeth resembling those of the great white shark, it belonged to Carcharodontosauridae, a group of large-bodied predators with deep skulls and blade-like, serrated teeth. Much of the original Egyptian material was destroyed during the Second World War, and later Moroccan fossils formed the basis of a 1996 redescription led by Paul Sereno.

help Carcharodontosaurus saharicus FAQ

What does the name Carcharodontosaurus saharicus mean?

The name Carcharodontosaurus saharicus translates roughly to 'shark-toothed lizard of the Sahara.' It was given this name because its huge, blade-like teeth closely resemble those of the great white shark, which belongs to the genus Carcharodon.

When and where did Carcharodontosaurus saharicus live?

This enormous theropod dinosaur lived during the Late Cretaceous period in what is now North Africa. Its fossil remains have been primarily discovered in the Kem Kem Beds and the Bahariya Formation of the Sahara Desert.

How large was Carcharodontosaurus saharicus?

Carcharodontosaurus was one of the largest meat-eating dinosaurs ever discovered, comparable in size to Tyrannosaurus rex and Giganotosaurus. It had a deep skull that could exceed 1.5 meters in length and featured blade-like, serrated teeth designed for slicing through flesh.

What happened to the original Carcharodontosaurus fossils found by Ernst Stromer?

The earliest known Carcharodontosaurus fossils, discovered by paleontologist Ernst Stromer von Reichenbach in Egypt, were housed in a museum in Munich. Tragically, the original specimen was completely destroyed in 1944 during an Allied bombing raid in World War II.

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