Open Paleo

Veterupristisaurus

Rauhut, 2011 veh-TEH-ru-PRIS-tee-SOR-us

From Latin 'veter' meaning 'old' or 'ancient' and Latin 'pristis' meaning 'shark', combined with Greek 'sauros' meaning 'lizard', meaning 'old shark lizard', referring to Veterupristisaurus being the oldest known representative of the carcharodontosaurids

154.8–149.2 million years ago Kimmeridgian, Late Jurassic
Late Jurassic stages

Veterupristisaurus is an extinct genus of carcharodontosaurid theropod dinosaur known from the Jurassic of Tendaguru, Lindi Region of southeastern Tanzania.

Under dispute

Veterupristisaurus milneri, the oldest known carcharodontosaurid, is recovered within Carcharodontosauridae (Rauhut, 2011; Kellermann and colleagues, 2025) or as a basal member of the wider Carcharodontosauria (Malafaia and colleagues, 2020). Its validity has been questioned because its sole diagnostic character is shared with Lusovenator (Kellermann and colleagues, 2025). It is placed at Carcharodontosauridae incertae sedis.

Diagnosis

  1. Two parallel laminae extending from prezygapophyses posteriorly, unique among theropods
  2. Strong development of ridge bordering transverse process anteriorly extending toward anterior neural arch
  3. Very wide centroprezygapophyseal laminae forming funnel-like structure around neural canal
  4. Strongly developed lateral ridge extending from transverse process anteriorly with anterior expansion
  5. Rudimentary anterior centrodiapophyseal lamina

Species

Veterupristisaurus milneri Rauhut, 2011

Type species

Named for paleontologist Angela C. Milner.

Holotype
MB R 1938 , Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin
Material
Isolated middle caudal vertebra
Horizon
Middle Dinosaur Member, Tendaguru Formation, Kimmeridgian, Late Jurassic , 154.8–149.2 million years ago
Locality
Locality St (EH) of the German Tendaguru Expeditions, Lindi, Tanzania

References

  1. Rauhut, O. W. M. (2011). Theropod dinosaurs from the Late Jurassic of Tendaguru (Tanzania). Special Papers in Palaeontology 86: 195-239.

    DOI 10.1111/j.1475-4983.2011.01084.x is widely cited but was never registered with Crossref; this Special Papers in Paleontology vol. 86 chapter has no official DOI.

    rauhut2011a
  2. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Theropods. Princeton University Press.

    Source of the hip height estimate.

    jones2026c
  3. Kellermann, M.; Cuesta, E.; Rauhut, O. W. M. (2025). Re-evaluation of the Bahariya Formation carcharodontosaurid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) and its implications for allosauroid phylogeny. PLOS ONE 20(1): e0311096. Public Library of Science (PLoS). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0311096

    Re-evaluation of Bahariya carcharodontosaurid recovered Veterupristisaurus within Carcharodontosauridae.

    kellermann2025a
  4. Malafaia, E.; Mocho, P.; Escaso, F.; Ortega, F. (2020). A new carcharodontosaurian theropod from the Lusitanian Basin: evidence of allosauroid sympatry in the European Late Jurassic. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 40(1). Informa UK Limited. doi:10.1080/02724634.2020.1768106

    Describes new carcharodontosaurian theropod, supporting basal Carcharodontosauria placement of related forms.

    malafaia2020a