Open Paleo

Afromimus

Sereno, 2017 AF-ro-MY-mus

From 'Africa' combined with Greek 'mimos' meaning 'mimic'; meaning 'Africa mimic'

113.2–100.5 million years ago Albian, Early Cretaceous
Early Cretaceous stages

Afromimus is a genus of ceratosaurian theropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Elrhaz Formation of Niger. It contains a single species, A. tenerensis, named in 2017 by Paul Sereno from parts of the right leg, vertebrae, and ribs found in the Ténéré Desert. It was originally described as a genus of ornithomimosaurian, but subsequent arguments have placed it as a taxon within or close to the superfamily Abelisauroidea.

Under dispute

Originally described as a basal ornithomimosaur (Sereno, 2017), but subsequent analyses reject that placement and recover Afromimus among ceratosaurs. Cerroni and colleagues (2019) place it within Abelisauroidea, and possibly Noasauridae, reinterpreting its proposed ornithomimosaur characters as ceratosaurian; Hendrickx and colleagues (2024) recover it in Berthasauridae, the sister group of Abelisauroidea. Its fragmentary material precludes confident assignment to any abelisauroid subclade, so it is placed conservatively at Ceratosauria.

Diagnosis

  1. Large elliptical attachment scar on the posterolateral aspect of the proximal tibial shaft distal to the lateral condyle
  2. Rugose attachment surface on the fibula posterior to the tibial crest
  3. Trough on the anteromedial aspect of the fibular shaft ventral to the anterior trochanter
  4. Rugose texture on non-articular surfaces of pre- and postzygapophyses of mid caudal vertebrae, with elevated zygapophyseal facets
  5. Fused pedicels on anterior chevrons that are less than one half as long anteroposteriorly as broad transversely

Species

Afromimus tenerensis Sereno, 2017

Type species

Combines the name of the Ténéré Desert of Niger, where the holotype was recovered.

Holotype
MNBH GAD112 , Musée National Boubou Hama
Material
Dorsal rib fragment, seven partial mid and distal caudal vertebrae, two partial chevrons, most of the right tibia and fibula, coossified proximal tarsals, and three partial pedal phalanges including a pedal ungual
Horizon
Elrhaz Formation, Albian, Early Cretaceous , 113.2–100.5 million years ago
Locality
Gadoufaoua, Agadez, Niger

References

  1. Sereno, P. C. (2017). Early Cretaceous Ornithomimosaurs (Dinosauria: Coelurosauria) from Africa. Ameghiniana 54(5): 576-616. Asociacion Paleontologica Argentina. doi:10.5710/amgh.23.10.2017.3155 sereno2017a
  2. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Theropods. Princeton University Press.

    Source of the mass and hip height estimates.

    jones2026c
  3. Cerroni, M. A.; Agnolín, F. L.; Brissón Egli, F.; Novas, F. E. (2019). The phylogenetic position of Afromimus tenerensis Sereno, 2017 and its paleobiogeographical implications. Journal of African Earth Sciences 159: 103572. doi:10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2019.103572

    Phylogenetic reassessment recovering Afromimus within Abelisauroidea, and possibly Noasauridae, rejecting ornithomimosaur affinity.

    cerroni2019a
  4. Hendrickx, C.; Cerroni, M. A.; Agnolín, F. L.; Catalano, S.; Ribeiro, C. F.; Delcourt, R. (2024). Osteology, relationship, and feeding ecology of the theropod dinosaur Noasaurus leali, from the Late Cretaceous of North-Western Argentina. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 202(4): zlae150. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae150

    Erects Berthasauridae and recovers Afromimus within it, as the sister group of Abelisauroidea.

    hendrickx2024a