Buzz
Egypt is not only famous for its mummies and pyramids. The 'Monster Sanctuary' - a layer of the Bahariya Formation in the Upper Chalk - has just revealed a peculiar theropod species.
The unearthed creature is a remarkably well-preserved section of the spinal column of a medium-sized abelisaurid ceratosaur, a theropod dinosaur - a large dinosaur group where the fearsome T-rex reigns supreme.
The fossilized creature possessed fossilized vertebrae dating back approximately 98 million years, sporting a face resembling a bulldog, small teeth, short arms, and a length of 6 meters.
According to the research team led by paleontologist Belal Salem from Ohio University, USA, this new monster fossil represents the first confirmed abelisaurid fossil from the Bahariya Formation and is the oldest record of abelisaurids from Egypt and Northeast Africa in general.
Hence, this discovery is exceptionally valuable and contributes to reconstructing the panorama of the Bahariya creature world. The Bahariya Formation, situated within the Bahariya Oasis in the Western Desert of Egypt, was once one of the most dangerous places on Earth due to the plethora of ferocious predators cohabiting and preying on each other.
Abelisaurid ceratosaurs are among the most widespread and prevalent medium to large-sized theropod dinosaurs during the Cretaceous period in the Southern Hemisphere.
They occupy the ecological niches of carnivorous species in South America, the African continent, the Indo-Madagascar region, Europe, and possibly Australia. However, only very scattered evidence of abelisaurids has been brought to light from Egypt and Northeast Africa in general.
The recent discoveries have been published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.
