| Afromimus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Sauropsida |
| Superorder: | Dinosauria |
| Order: | Ornithoscelida |
| Suborder: | Theropoda |
| Family: | Noasauridae |
| Subfamily: | Elaphrosaurinae |
| Genus: | Afromimus |
| Species: | A. tenerensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Afromimus tenerensis Sereno et al., 2017 | |
Afromimus is a genus of Ceratosaur theropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Period of northern Africa (Niger).
The generic name comes from the Latin prefix afro- ("from Africa") mimus ("mimic"). There is one named species, A. tenerensis. The name refers to its location in Africa, specifically from In Tener, the Tuareg name for the region of Niger where the fossils were found. The original description of both genus and species is found in a 2017 paper which appeared in the prestigious journal Science. The primary author was well-known American paleontologist Paul Sereno.
The remains of Afromimus were discovered in the Elhraz Formation of the department of Agadez in Niger. The Tiourarén most likely represents the Aptian to Albian stages of the Early Cretaceous Period, or approximately 125 to 100 million years ago (Sereno et al. 1994). The sauropod Nigersaurus, whose remains were first mentioned in the same paper which named Afromimus, is also known from this formation.
Afrovenator is known from a skeleton without a skull, middle and rear tail vertebrae, two chevrons, and the undersides of a right tibia and right fibula fused with the leg.
It could be an Ornithomimosaur, but studies indicate that it could be a Noasaurid, Elaphrosaur. due to its geographical distribution.
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