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Giant Kenyan Abelisaur

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Carnosaur

MemberCompsognathusJul-31-2014 9:41 AM

You guys know him by "Titanovenator Kenyaensis" here. Well, i've been doing some digging around for this guy, and i found some interesting stuff:

A GIANT ABELISAURID THEROPOD FROM THE LATEST CRETACEOUS
OF NORTHERN TURKANA, KENYA

SERTICH, Joseph, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Denver, CO, United States,
80205; O'CONNOR, Patrick, Ohio University, Athens, OH, United States; SEIFFERT,
Erik, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States; MANTHI, Fredrick
Kyalo, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
The African fossil record of Cretaceous non-marine vertebrates has expanded
significantly over the past two decades. However, these discoveries have been limited to
Lower and middle Cretaceous horizons with a conspicuous absence of fossils from the
latest Cretaceous, an interval of prolonged African isolation. Recently recovered
vertebrate fossils from the Lapurr Mountains of northwestern Turkana, Kenya, comprise
the first definitive non-marine fauna from this critical terminal Cretaceous interval. This
diverse fauna from the Lapurr sandstone (“Turkana Grits”) has been dated to the
Maastrichtian and includes crocodyliforms, pterosaurs, and dinosaurs. Though
fragmentary, the dinosaur record includes at least two iguanodontian ornithopods, three
macronarian sauropods, and two large theropods. Here we report on one of these
theropods, a new abelisaurid that significantly expands the upper limits of body size in
ceratosaurians and represents the youngest diagnostic dinosaur material yet reported from
the Afro-Arabian continent.
The new taxon is known from multiple isolated specimens including portions of the
skull, axial column, and appendicular skeleton. Referral of unassociated remains to a
single taxon is based on morphological consistency and on the recovery of specimens
from a narrow stratigraphic and geographic area. A comprehensive phylogenetic analysis
substantiates referral of the new Kenyan taxon to Abelisauridae based, among other
features, on the presence of a tall, rugose premaxilla, an anteroventrally inclined posterior
border of the postorbital, and a prominent dorsal projection of the parietals and
supraoccipital. An associated partial skull is strongly coossified, with a thickened but
weakly sculptured skull roof. Unlike many other abelisaurids, no prominent cranial
ornamentation is evident. As in other ceratosaurians, the astragalocalcaneum is
completely coossified and displays a prominent transverse sulcus on the anteroventral
surface. Like other abelisaurids, the ascending process is low and subrectangular,
separated from the anterior surface of the astragalus by a distinct fossa. Comparison of
preserved elements with those of other, more complete abelisaurids indicates that the new
taxon likely exceeded 11-12 meters in length.
Furthermore, the presence of a largebodied
abelisaurid in the Kenyan fauna parallels many other Late Cretaceous Gondwanan
faunas, reflecting global early Late Cretaceous turnover from allosauroid and spinosaurid
dominated ecosystems.

Now, i would be cautious with this one guys. Animals like this tend to get downsized a bit in later estimations(ekrixinatosaurus, anyone?) but, it does look promising. I'm looking forward to the official description of this thing.

Source: Society of Vertabrate Paleontology(Pg.211)

Nature doesn't deceive us; it is we who deceive ourselves.

7 Replies

Hiphopananomus

MemberCompsognathusJul-31-2014 9:52 AM

Cool find, until we have more remains I'm still going to consider Ekrixinatosaurus the biggest Abelissaurid.

"Somewhere on this island is the greatest predator that ever lived. Second greatest predator must take him down."Roland Tembo"

"Jurassic park: The Lost World"

Allotitan

MemberCompsognathusJul-31-2014 11:06 AM

Interesting topic I hope Titanovenater is as huge as they say

When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade. Tell life I don't want you're damn lemons, and then squeeze them into life's eyes!

Sci-Fi King25

MemberAllosaurusJul-31-2014 12:58 PM

This is interesting. Thanks for sharing this!

 

“Banana oil.”- George Takei, Gigantis: The Fire Monster

Carnosaur

MemberCompsognathusJul-31-2014 4:35 PM

very interesting indeed.

@HHP we have a variety of species with considerably less material that we consider large bodied. Amphicoelias, Carcharodontosaurus, the Broome Titanosaur, Oxalaia, Sauroniops...That's to name just a few.

From my understanding, the initial report was this thing was roughly 40% complete. More then enough to get a fair size estimate off of, and seeing that they scaled off of Ekrixinatosaurus, it is indeed massive in stature.

The implications of a gigantic abelisaur are tremendous. Surely, it would have competed with the Carcharodontosaurs and Spinosaurs it coexisted with. Maybe even occupying the same niche, who knows. I for one am excited for the full description of this thing...even if it shrinks

Nature doesn't deceive us; it is we who deceive ourselves.

Hiphopananomus

MemberCompsognathusJul-31-2014 4:43 PM

I'm not saying it's not possible or not unlikely I'm just saying we can't guarantee it until more evidence shows up, it would definitely have been a coetitor to Carcharadontosaurus and Spinosaurus.

 

Is it just me or is that when there is a large spinosaur and a Carcharadontosaur theres ussualy a large Abelisaur.

 

two main examples 

Carcharadotosaurus

Spinosaurus

This theropod

 

Giganotosaurus 

Oxalia

Ekrixinatosaurus

 

Wonder which of the three was ussualy the apex predator?

"Somewhere on this island is the greatest predator that ever lived. Second greatest predator must take him down."Roland Tembo"

"Jurassic park: The Lost World"

Carnosaur

MemberCompsognathusJul-31-2014 4:55 PM

They probably didn't compete all that much, but occupied different niches. Carcharodontosaurs were usually sauropod hunters, occasionally ornithopods and such. Spinosaurs as we know were predominantly waterbound, eating aquatic life but were in no way limited to it. Abelisaurs probably took armored prey, as well as ornithopods, so there would be some minor overlap. Seeing how we have no evidence of pack behavior in abelisaurs, nothing to me suggests they were capable of killing sauropods, at least not the large ones. This large kenyan one though...who knows. We will just have to wait and see when this thing passes under the magnifying glass.

Nature doesn't deceive us; it is we who deceive ourselves.

Hiphopananomus

MemberCompsognathusJul-31-2014 4:59 PM

true, they probably only fought/competed when food was in shortage. Its definitely going to be sweet  to see a full description of this abelisaur!

"Somewhere on this island is the greatest predator that ever lived. Second greatest predator must take him down."Roland Tembo"

"Jurassic park: The Lost World"

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