S26 - Kryptops palaios Abelisaurid Theropod Dinosaur Tooth Cretaceous Elrhaz Fm

Scientific name: Kryptops palaios, (Sereno & Brusatte, 2008) - Abelisaurid theropod

Location: Gadoufaoua, Téneré Desert, Niger.

Geological Formation: Elrhaz Fm

Age: Lower Cretaceous, Aptian/Albian stage ( 113 million years)

Size (long): 3.5cm = 1.37 Inch

REF.: S26


DESCRIPTION:
Kryptops is a genus of abelisaurid theropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Niger. It is known from a partial skeleton found at the Gadoufaoua locality in the western Ténéré Desert, in rocks of the Aptian-Albian age Elrhaz Formation. This dinosaur was described by paleontologists Paul Sereno in 2008. The genus name means "covered face", in reference to evidence that the face bore a tightly-adhering covering. The type species is K. palaios, which means "old".

In Elrhaz Fm have been described several genera of crocodylomorphs (Anatosuchus, Araripesuchus, Sarcosuchus, and Stolokrosuchus), undescribed ornithocheirid pterosaurs, the theropod dinosaurs Eocarcharia, Kryptops, Suchomimus, and an undescribed noasaurid (possibly Bahariasaurus), the sauropods Nigersaurus and an undescribed titanosaurian (possibly Malawisaurus), and the iguanodontians Lurdusaurus and Ouranosaurus.