Scientific name: Eocarcharia dinops, Sereno and Brusatte, 2008
Location: Gadoufaoua, Téneré Desert, Niger.
Geological Formation: Elrhaz Fm
Age: Lower Cretaceous, Aptian/Albian stage ( 113 million years)
Size (long): 7cm = 2.75 Inch
REF.: W8
DESCRIPTION:
Eocarcharia (meaning “dawn shark”) is a genus of carcharodontosaurid theropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Elrhaz Formation that lived in the Sahara 112 million years ago, in what today is the country of Niger. It was discovered in 2000 on an expedition led by University of Chicago paleontologist Paul Sereno. The type and only species is Eocarcharia dinops. Its teeth were shaped like blades and were used for disabling live prey and ripping apart body parts. Eocarcharia’s brow is swollen into a massive band of bone, giving it a menacing glare (leading to the specific name dinops or “fierce-eyed”). It may have reached lengths of 6–8 m (19.7–26.2 ft).