Berberosaurus liassicus Berberosaurus
"Berber lizard"
You 1.8 m (5.9 ft) tall
Berberosaurus 5 m (16.4 ft) long
3 people holding hands
- Length
- 5 m (16.4 ft)
- Period
- Early Jurassic (183–174 Mya)
- Place
- Africa · Morocco
- Food
- Carnivore
- Clade
- Ceratosauridae
Berberosaurus (meaning “Berber lizard”, in reference to the Berbers of Morocco) is a genus of neotheropod dinosaur, possibly a ceratosaur, from the Toarcian-age (Lower Jurassic) “Toundoute Continental Series” (Azilal Formation) found in the Central High Atlas of Toundoute, Ouarzazate, Morocco. The type species of the genus Berberosaurus is B. liassicus, in reference to the Lias epoch. Berberosaurus might be the oldest known ceratosaur, and is based on partial postcranial remains. This genus represents the oldest formally identified theropod from the North of Africa, as well one of the few from the region in the Early Jurassic.
What we know
- Named by Allain et al., 2007.
- Body length estimated at about 5 m.
- Fossils found in Africa and Morocco.