Suchomimus Suchomimus

Suchomimus is a genus of large theropod dinosaur that lived in what is now Niger during the Aptian to Albian stages of the Early Cretaceous period, 112 million years ago. The only known species is S. tenerensis, originally described in 1998 by paleontologist Paul Sereno and colleagues from several fossils discovered one year earlier in the Elrhaz Formation. Although these fossils come from multiple specimens, they represent one of the most anatomically well-documented spinosaurids. The animal’s generic name, which means “crocodile mimic”, alludes to its elongated skull and piscivorous adaptations, while the specific name refers to the Ténéré Desert, where the fossils were discovered.

With an estimated length of 9.5 – 11 m and a body mass ranging from 2.5 – 3.8 MT, Suchomimus was a particularly large theropod.