Paleobiogeographic evolution and distribution of Carcharodontosauridae (Dinosauria, Theropoda) during the middle Cretaceous of North Africa

Abstract

Over the last few decades, the systematics and evolution of carcharodontosaurids, a group of large predatory dinosaurs, from North Africa have been better understood mainly due the discovery of new species. We review this record here and discuss its importance for understanding the evolution and ecology of these dinosaurs. North Africa has one of the best records of carcharodontosaurid species. These species show dietary specializations and paleogeographic distributions similar to other top predatory theropods such as Abelisauridae and Spinosauridae. However, carcharodontosaurids have a wider distribution than other large theropods. The middle Cretaceous of North Africa was characterized by the niche overlap between large predators. This evidence increases our understanding of the evolution of Carcharodontosauridae in a highly competitive region, a conjuncture rarely reported for large top predators.

Population modelling insights of extinct environments: the case of the Kem Kem palaeocommunity

“…However, other authors suggest that the pattern can be indeed a natural phenomenon in opposition to collecting bias [1]. Assuming that the pattern is caused by actual biological processes (i.e., not a collecting artefact), one potential explanatory mechanism is resource partitioning among large predators [4,5], which is evidenced by calcium isotopes [6]. Among the coexisting large-bodied theropod predators of this environment, there are, for instance, Deltadromeus agilis Sereno et al, 1996 [7], Carcharodontosaurus saharicus Stromer, 1931, and Spinosaurus aegyptiacus Stromer, 1915 sensu Smyth et al, 2020 [8].…”

“…CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license perpetuity. It is made available under a preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in The copyright holder for this this version posted September 9, 2021. ; https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.09.07.459352 doi: bioRxiv preprint that the pattern is caused by actual biological processes (i.e., not a collecting artefact), one potential explanatory mechanism is resource partitioning among large predators [4,5], which is evidenced by calcium isotopes [6]. Among the coexisting large-bodied theropod predators of this environment, there are, for instance, Deltadromeus agilis Sereno et al, 1996 [7], Carcharodontosaurus saharicus Stromer, 1931, and Spinosaurus aegyptiacus Stromer, 1915 sensu Smyth et al, 2020 [8].…”