List of African dinosaurs

This is a list of non-avian dinosaurs whose remains have been recovered in Africa. Africa has a rich fossil record. It is rich in Triassic and Early Jurassic dinosaurs. African dinosaurs from these time periods include Megapnosaurus, Dracovenator, Melanorosaurus, Massospondylus, Euskelosaurus, Heterodontosaurus, Abrictosaurus, and Lesothosaurus. In the Middle Jurassic, the sauropods Atlasaurus, Chebsaurus, Jobaria, and Spinophorosaurus, 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 of Tanzania. Veterupristisaurus, Ostafrikasaurus, Elaphrosaurus, Giraffatitan, Dicraeosaurus, Janenschia, Tornieria, Tendaguria, Kentrosaurus, and Dysalotosaurus are among the dinosaurs whose remains have been recovered from Tendaguru. This fauna seems to show strong similarities to that of the Morrison Formation 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 implications.
The Early Cretaceous in Africa is known primarily from the northern part of the continent, particularly Niger. Suchomimus, Elrhazosaurus, Rebbachisaurus, Nigersaurus, Kryptops, Nqwebasaurus, 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, forming the South Atlantic Ocean. This was an important event because now the dinosaurs of Africa started developing endemism 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, Deltadromeus, Paralititan, Aegyptosaurus, and Ouranosaurus.

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 Africa.

List of African dinosaurs

Valid genera

Name

Year

Formation

Location

Notes

Images

Aardonyx

2010

Elliot Formation

South Africa

Invalid and potentially valid genera

Aetonyx palustris: Considered a potential junior synonym of Massospondylus, but two more recent studies cast doubt on this.Aristosaurus erectus: Believed to be a synonym of Massospondylus, though this genus was found to be indeterminate by later research.Dromicosaurus gracilis: Usually considered synonymous with Massospondylus although it was later suggested to be an indeterminate sauropodomorph.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 this cannot be confirmed.Gyposaurus: The African species, G. capensis, may be a juvenile Massospondylus. A Chinese species has also been named, but it may not belong to this genus.Hortalotarsus skirtopodus: A possible synonym of Massospondylus.

"Likhoelesaurus": 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: 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 along the x-axis.

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from: -145 till: -65 color:cretaceous text:Cretaceous
from: -200 till: -145 color:jurassic text:Jurassic
from: -250 till: -200 color:triassic text:Triassic
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from: -250 till: -65 color:mesozoic text:Mesozoic
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color:OMN bar:NAM3 from:-216 till:-208 text:Eucnemesaurus
color:HER bar:NAM4 from:-216 till:-208 text:Euskelosaurus
color:HER bar:NAM5 from:-216 till:-208 text:Melanorosaurus
color:HER bar:NAM6 from:-216 till:-208 text:Plateosauravus
color:HER bar:NAM7 from:-205 till:-201 text:Vulcanodon
color:OMN bar:NAM8 from:-200 till:-198 text:Eocursor
color:HER bar:NAM9 from:-200 till:-197 text:Tazoudasaurus
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
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:Gyposaurus
color:CAR bar:NAM20 from:-185 till:-183 text:Berberosaurus
color:HER bar:NAM21 from:-171 till:-167 text:Adratiklit
color:HER bar:NAM22 from:-171 till:-167 text:Spicomellus
color:HER bar:NAM23 from:-168 till:-161 text:Atlasaurus
color:HER bar:NAM24 from:-165 till:-160 text:Chebsaurus
color:CAR bar:NAM25 from:-174.1 till:-161 text:Afrovenator
color:CAR bar:NAM26 from:-164 till:-161 text:Spinostropheus
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:Dysalotosaurus
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
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color:CAR bar:NAM45 from:-116 till:-112 text:Kryptops
color:CAR bar:NAM46 from:-116 till:-112 text:Eocarcharia
color:HER bar:NAM47 from:-125 till:-100.5 text:Ouranosaurus
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:Rebbachisaurus
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
color:HER bar:NAM54 from:-97 till:-93 text:Aegyptosaurus
color:CAR bar:NAM55 from:-97 till:-93 text:Bahariasaurus
color:CAR bar:NAM56 from:-97 till:-93 text:Deltadromeus
color:CAR bar:NAM57 from:-68 till:-66 text:Chenanisaurus
color:CAR bar:NAM58 from:-97 till:-93 text:Rugops
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from: -250 till: -65 color:mesozoic text:Mesozoic