Dinosaurs A to Z
Ceratosauridae

Berberosaurus liassicus

"Berber lizard"

Generic theropod body-plan outline
You 1.8 m (5.9 ft) tall
Berberosaurus 5 m (16.4 ft) long
as long as 3 people standing fingertip to fingertip
generic theropod body plan, scaled to length — not a silhouette of Berberosaurus
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.

What we guess

The reconstruction notes for Berberosaurus — soft tissue, color, behavior — haven't been written up yet. Only the recorded basics above are filled in so far.