“…Regarding abelisauroids, we support the interpretation of the described maxillae and several other bones from the Kem Kem Group as likely pertaining to a single midto large-sized abelisaurid close to the Nigerien genus Rugops and another maxilla of similar age from Argentina (Lamanna et al 2002). Additional abelisaurid bones have been described recently, the affinity of which remains uncertain (Smyth et al 2020). Noasaurids also appear to be present based on the presence of an isolated cervical vertebra (Smyth et al 2020).…”
Section: Kem Kem Assemblagesupporting
confidence: 81%
“…Additional commercially collected specimens have been described more recently, including a pair of maxillae with teeth close in form to UCRC PV10 (D'Orazi Porchetti et al 2011), cervical vertebrae (Smyth et al 2020), a more questionable partial ilium (Zitouni et al 2019), and the proximal end of a large femur (Chiarenza and Cau 2016). There is evidence, thus, for at least one mid-to large-sized Kem Kem abelisaurid, a subgroup known to survive in northern locales on Africa until the end of the Cretaceous Lamanna 2006, Longrich et al 2017).…”
Section: Abelisauroidea Bonapartementioning
confidence: 99%
“…There is evidence, thus, for at least one mid-to large-sized Kem Kem abelisaurid, a subgroup known to survive in northern locales on Africa until the end of the Cretaceous Lamanna 2006, Longrich et al 2017). In addition, a single anterior cervical vertebra has been recovered and allied with Noasauridae (Smyth et al 2020), a group of small-bodied abelisauroids.…”
Section: Abelisauroidea Bonapartementioning
confidence: 99%
“…Additional abelisaurid bones have been described recently, the affinity of which remains uncertain (Smyth et al 2020). Noasaurids also appear to be present based on the presence of an isolated cervical vertebra (Smyth et al 2020).…”
The geological and paleoenvironmental setting and the vertebrate taxonomy of the fossiliferous, Cenomanian-age deltaic sediments in eastern Morocco, generally referred to as the “Kem Kem beds”, are reviewed. These strata are recognized here as the Kem Kem Group, which is composed of the lower Gara Sbaa and upper Douira formations. Both formations have yielded a similar fossil vertebrate assemblage of predominantly isolated elements pertaining to cartilaginous and bony fishes, turtles, crocodyliforms, pterosaurs, and dinosaurs, as well as invertebrate, plant, and trace fossils. These fossils, now in collections around the world, are reviewed and tabulated. The Kem Kem vertebrate fauna is biased toward large-bodied carnivores including at least four large-bodied non-avian theropods (an abelisaurid, Spinosaurus, Carcharodontosaurus, and Deltadromeus), several large-bodied pterosaurs, and several large crocodyliforms. No comparable modern terrestrial ecosystem exists with similar bias toward large-bodied carnivores. The Kem Kem vertebrate assemblage, currently the best documented association just prior to the onset of the Cenomanian-Turonian marine transgression, captures the taxonomic diversity of a widespread northern African fauna better than any other contemporary assemblage from elsewhere in Africa.
“…Regarding abelisauroids, we support the interpretation of the described maxillae and several other bones from the Kem Kem Group as likely pertaining to a single midto large-sized abelisaurid close to the Nigerien genus Rugops and another maxilla of similar age from Argentina (Lamanna et al 2002). Additional abelisaurid bones have been described recently, the affinity of which remains uncertain (Smyth et al 2020). Noasaurids also appear to be present based on the presence of an isolated cervical vertebra (Smyth et al 2020).…”
Section: Kem Kem Assemblagesupporting
confidence: 81%
“…Additional commercially collected specimens have been described more recently, including a pair of maxillae with teeth close in form to UCRC PV10 (D'Orazi Porchetti et al 2011), cervical vertebrae (Smyth et al 2020), a more questionable partial ilium (Zitouni et al 2019), and the proximal end of a large femur (Chiarenza and Cau 2016). There is evidence, thus, for at least one mid-to large-sized Kem Kem abelisaurid, a subgroup known to survive in northern locales on Africa until the end of the Cretaceous Lamanna 2006, Longrich et al 2017).…”
Section: Abelisauroidea Bonapartementioning
confidence: 99%
“…There is evidence, thus, for at least one mid-to large-sized Kem Kem abelisaurid, a subgroup known to survive in northern locales on Africa until the end of the Cretaceous Lamanna 2006, Longrich et al 2017). In addition, a single anterior cervical vertebra has been recovered and allied with Noasauridae (Smyth et al 2020), a group of small-bodied abelisauroids.…”
Section: Abelisauroidea Bonapartementioning
confidence: 99%
“…Additional abelisaurid bones have been described recently, the affinity of which remains uncertain (Smyth et al 2020). Noasaurids also appear to be present based on the presence of an isolated cervical vertebra (Smyth et al 2020).…”
The geological and paleoenvironmental setting and the vertebrate taxonomy of the fossiliferous, Cenomanian-age deltaic sediments in eastern Morocco, generally referred to as the “Kem Kem beds”, are reviewed. These strata are recognized here as the Kem Kem Group, which is composed of the lower Gara Sbaa and upper Douira formations. Both formations have yielded a similar fossil vertebrate assemblage of predominantly isolated elements pertaining to cartilaginous and bony fishes, turtles, crocodyliforms, pterosaurs, and dinosaurs, as well as invertebrate, plant, and trace fossils. These fossils, now in collections around the world, are reviewed and tabulated. The Kem Kem vertebrate fauna is biased toward large-bodied carnivores including at least four large-bodied non-avian theropods (an abelisaurid, Spinosaurus, Carcharodontosaurus, and Deltadromeus), several large-bodied pterosaurs, and several large crocodyliforms. No comparable modern terrestrial ecosystem exists with similar bias toward large-bodied carnivores. The Kem Kem vertebrate assemblage, currently the best documented association just prior to the onset of the Cenomanian-Turonian marine transgression, captures the taxonomic diversity of a widespread northern African fauna better than any other contemporary assemblage from elsewhere in Africa.
“…The centrum lacks a ventral keel, as is also the case in Majungasaurus [ 27 ] and Viavenator exxoni [ 28 , 30 ]. In ventral view, a marked constriction is observed in the middle part of the centrum, as in caudal cervical vertebrae of many taxa within Abelisauria (= Noasauridae + Abelisauridae) [ 3 , 40 , 41 ] such as Carnotaurus , Majungasaurus , Viavenator , the generically indeterminate Patagonian mid-Cretaceous abelisaurid MPM-99 [ 31 ] and (less markedly) Ekrixinatosaurus novasi [ 42 ], Elaphrosaurus [ 34 , 35 ] and Masiakasaurus [ 37 ]. Figure 3 Tenth cervical vertebra of representative abelisaurids in cranial ( a , c , e , g , i ) and left lateral ( b , d , f , h , j ) views.…”
Numerous non-avian theropod dinosaur fossils have been reported from the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian) Bahariya Formation, Bahariya Oasis, Western Desert of Egypt, but unambiguous materials of Abelisauridae have yet to be documented. Here we report Mansoura University Vertebrate Paleontology Center (MUVP) specimen 477, an isolated, well-preserved tenth cervical vertebra of a medium-sized abelisaurid from the Bahariya Formation. The new vertebra shows affinities with those of other Upper Cretaceous abelisaurids from Madagascar and South America, such as
Majungasaurus crenatissimus
,
Carnotaurus sastrei
,
Viavenator exxoni
and a generically indeterminate Patagonian specimen (Museo Padre Molina specimen 99). Phylogenetic analysis recovers the Bahariya form within Abelisauridae, either in a polytomy of all included abelisaurids (strict consensus tree) or as an early branching member of the otherwise South American clade Brachyrostra (50% majority rule consensus tree). MUVP 477, therefore, represents the first confirmed abelisaurid fossil from the Bahariya Formation and the oldest definitive record of the clade from Egypt and northeastern Africa more generally. The new vertebra demonstrates the wide geographical distribution of Abelisauridae across North Africa during the middle Cretaceous and augments the already extraordinarily diverse large-bodied theropod assemblage of the Bahariya Formation, a record that also includes representatives of Spinosauridae, Carcharodontosauridae and Bahariasauridae.
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