Open Paleo

Aegyptosaurus

Stromer, 1932 ee-JIP-to-SAWR-us /iːˌdʒɪptoʊˈsɔːrəs/

From 'Aegyptus' (Latin for Egypt) and Greek 'sauros' meaning 'lizard', meaning 'Egypt's lizard', reflecting its discovery in Egypt.

100.5–93.9 million years ago Cenomanian, Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous stages

Aegyptosaurus is a genus of sauropod dinosaur discovered in Egypt, that lived in what is now Africa, around 95 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous Period (Cenomanian faunal stage).

Diagnosis

  1. Middle caudal vertebral body short and higher than broad, procoelic, with neural arch and thick rudimentary transverse process restricted to anterior half, and concave surface above neural canal anterior to neural arch
  2. Humerus relatively slender, with slight medial expansion of upper end and deltoid crest terminating anteriorly against the shaft midline rather than along the outer margin
  3. Ulna relatively slender, upper end not strongly thickened or broadened, not concave medially above, lower outline oval with medial angle
  4. Femur with weakly developed trochanter IV positioned in upper third of length, and broad surface facing posteriorly beside the lateral condyle below
  5. Scapula lacking ridges, with obtuse angle between straight shaft anterior edge and convex anterior edge of expansion, and moderately acute angle between shaft axis and width axis
  6. Tibia relatively slender, proximal end only moderately broadened with approximately semicircular outline, crista cnemialis apparently not prominent

Species

Aegyptosaurus baharijensis Stromer, 1932

Type species

Named for the Bahariya Formation of Egypt, the geological unit in which the type specimen was discovered.

Holotype
BSP 1912 VIII 61 , Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie (destroyed)
Material
Associated remains of one individual from gypsum-bearing gray clay: three vertebral bodies (one dorsal, two caudal), left scapula, humerus, two ulnae, two radii, two femora, left tibia
Horizon
Bahariya Formation, Cenomanian, Late Cretaceous , 100.5–93.9 million years ago
Locality
Gebel el Dist, Giza, Egypt

References

  1. Stromer, E. (1932). Ergebnisse der Forschungsreisen Prof. E. Stromers in den Wüsten Ägyptens. II. Wirbeltierreste der Baharîje-Stufe (unterstes Cenoman). 11. Sauropoda [Results of the expeditions of Professor E. Stromer in the Egyptian deserts. II. Vertebrate animal remains from the Baharîje bed (lowest Cenomanian). 11. Sauropoda]. Abhandlungen der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften Mathematisch-naturwissenschaftliche Abteilung, Neue Folge 10: 1-21. stromer1932a
  2. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Sauropods. Princeton University Press.

    Source of the hip height estimate.

    jones2026b