Chenanisaurus

Chen-an-e-sor-us.
Published on

Benjamin Gutierrez

Vertebrate Paleontologist

Benjamin Gutierrez is a leading expert on dinosaurs, particularly the mighty theropods. His fieldwork in South America has uncovered new species and provided insights into dinosaur social structures.

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Name

Chenanisaurus ‭(‬Chennane lizard‭)‬.

Phonetic

Chen-an-e-sor-us.

Named By

N.‭ ‬R.‭ ‬Longrich,‭ ‬X.‭ ‬Pereda-Suberbiola,‭ ‬N.-E.‭ ‬Jalil,‭ ‬F.‭ ‬Khaldoune‭ & ‬E.‭ ‬Jourani‭ ‬-‭ ‬2017.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Dinosauria,‭ ‬Saurischia,‭ ‬Theropoda,‭ ‬Abelisauridae.

Diet

Carnivore.

Species

C.‭ ‬barbaricus‭

Size

Unknown due to incomplete remains,‭ ‬but roughly estimated between‭ ‬7‭ ‬and‭ ‬8‭ ‬meters long.

Known locations

Morocco.

Time Period

Maastrichtian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Partial dentary‭ (‬lower jaw‭) ‬and four teeth.

In Depth

       Chenanisaurus is a genus of abelisaurid dinosaur that lived in North Africa towards the end of the Cretaceous period.‭ ‬Chenanisaurus is named from‭ ‬the description of a partial lower jaw,‭ ‬and while this does not give us much to go on,‭ ‬it does reveal a few things.‭ ‬While the jaw is incomplete,‭ ‬it is that of an abelisaurid dinosaur,‭ ‬and comparable in size to other large abelisaurid dinosaurs.‭ ‬This jaw alone suggests that Chenanisaurus grew to at least seven meters long,‭ ‬maybe more,‭ ‬though precise details cannot be certain front the jaw alone.‭ ‬The jaw is also proportionately high to what its complete length would have been,‭ ‬showing adaptation for a very high bite force.‭ ‬The holotype bone of Chenanisaurus was found in marine sediment,‭ ‬showing that this individual had been swept out to sea.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬An abelisaurid from the latest Cretaceous‭ (‬late Maastrichtian‭) ‬of Morocco,‭ ‬North Africa.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Cretaceous Research‭ ‬76:40-52.‭ ‬-‭ ‬N.‭ ‬R.‭ ‬Longrich,‭ ‬X.‭ ‬Pereda-Suberbiola,‭ ‬N.-E.‭ ‬Jalil,‭ ‬F.‭ ‬Khaldoune‭ & ‬E.‭ ‬Jourani‭ ‬-‭ ‬2017.

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