New data on spinosaurid dinosaurs from the early cretaceous of the Sahara

Abstract New occurrences of spinosaurid dinosaurs from the Aptian of Niger and Albian of Algeria augment our knowledge of Spinosaurus maroccanus and permit the description of a new taxon: Cristatusaurus lapparenti from the Gadoufaoua locality (Niger). Spinosaurs may be separated into two distinct groups: one with longirostrine muzzles and premaxillae which are rounded in cross-section, and a second with brevirostrine muzzles possessing a dorsoposteriorly expanded crest. The spanish genus Pelecanimimus may be related to spinosaurids, rendering spinosaurs a more diversified group than previously thought.