Art by Teratophoneus
Cristatusaurus is a genus of spinosaurid dinosaur. It was found in Africa, and may have coexisted with its larger relative Suchomimus. It is estimated to grown sizes about 30 to 33 feet (approx. 9 to 10 meters) although it is not certain whether this is adult size. It was a larger carnivore and would have been one of the top predators in the region. Its diet probably consisted of various animals ranging from large fish, large pterosaurs, other dinosaurs, and possibly crocodylomorphs like juvenile Sarcosuchus. It probably lived in competition to Suchomimus, but was far from the bottom of the food chain. Animals such as Kryptops and Eocarcharia were most likely smaller, and may have relied on scavenging some of the kills of predators like Suchomimus, Cristatusaurus, and the massive relative of crocodiles, Sarcosuchus.
The theropod's validity has been confirmed with recent research.[1]
History of research[]
The first fossils of Cristatusaurus were found in 1973 by French paleontologist Philippe Taquet at Gadoufaoua, a locality within the Elrhaz Formation in Niger.
Description[]
In 2012, American vertebrate paleontologist Thomas R. Holtz Jr. tentatively estimated Cristatusaurus at around 10 meters (33 feet) in length and weighing between 1 to 4 tonnes (1.1 to 4.4 short tons).
Classification[]
The theropod has classified within spinosauridae just outside of baryonychinae.[1]
Paleoecology[]
The Elrhaz Formation, part of the Tegama Group, consists mainly of fluvial sandstones with low relief, much of which is obscured by sand dunes.