Sigilmassasaurus
sih-JIL-mah-sah-SORE-us
- Lived
- Late Cretaceous
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Group
- Theropods, Spinosauridae
- Named by
- Russell 1996
Where its fossils were found
The evidence
Fossil record
Kem Kem area, Morocco, Ifezouane or Aoufous formations
Cenomanian, Late Cretaceous
Published vertebrae come from the Kem Kem area. Exact excavation sites and the formation of individual specimens are often uncertain. Whether this material represents a distinct genus or Spinosaurus remains disputed.
No finds with map coordinates are recorded yet.
Habitat
River channels crossed the landscape in what is now Morocco. Other dinosaurs from these deposits include Carcharodontosaurus and Rebbachisaurus.
Field notes
About Sigilmassasaurus
What it was like
Sigilmassasaurus was a spinosaurid, a close relative of Spinosaurus, known mostly from neck bones. Its neck was probably strong and muscular.
Scientists disagree about it. Some think its bones belong to Spinosaurus itself; others keep it as a separate genus.
Its world
It lived in the Cretaceous in what is now Morocco, in a land of big rivers full of fish.
How it was found
Russell named Sigilmassasaurus in 1996.
Field gallery
More views of Sigilmassasaurus
Scenes reconstructed from the available fossil evidence.
The evidence
The science behind Sigilmassasaurus
Which parts of the picture come from its own bones, and which come from its relatives.
From its own fossils
- It is known from isolated neck and front back vertebrae rather than a complete skeleton.
- Some neck bones have broad, roughened surfaces underneath where strong neck muscles probably attached.
Borrowed from relatives
- The skull, limbs and tail in a full restoration are borrowed from better-known spinosaurids such as Spinosaurus and Baryonyx.
Still unknown
- Whether its bones belong to a separate genus or to Spinosaurus.
- The shape of its skull, back and tail.
- Its color and full body size.
Discovery timeline
- 1996Named itRussell
- 2015RedescriptionEvers et al.
- 2019Growing upLakin & Longrich
- 2020RedescriptionSmyth, Ibrahim & Martill
Key papers
The research behind what we know of Sigilmassasaurus
Named it
Named Sigilmassasaurus from isolated vertebrae found in Morocco.
Isolated dinosaur bones from the Middle Cretaceous of the Tafilalt, Morocco. Bulletin du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, 4e série, section C 18: 349-402
No link available
Redescription
Compared the vertebrae with other theropods and argued that Sigilmassasaurus was a distinct spinosaurid.
A reappraisal of the morphology and systematic position of the theropod dinosaurSigilmassasaurusfrom the “middle” Cretaceous of Morocco. PeerJ 3: e1323
Read the paper : A reappraisal of the morphology and systematic position of the theropod dinosaurSigilmassasaurusfrom the “middle” Cretaceous of Morocco (opens in a new tab)Growing up
Described a small neck vertebra as young Sigilmassasaurus, an identification that depends on how the disputed spinosaur material is classified.
Juvenile spinosaurs (Theropoda: Spinosauridae) from the middle Cretaceous of Morocco and implications for spinosaur ecology. Cretaceous Research 93: 129-142
Read the paper : Juvenile spinosaurs (Theropoda: Spinosauridae) from the middle Cretaceous of Morocco and implications for spinosaur ecology (opens in a new tab)Redescription
Argued that the vertebral differences reflect variation within Spinosaurus and positions along its neck, rather than a separate genus.
Sigilmassasaurus is Spinosaurus: A reappraisal of African spinosaurines. Cretaceous Research 114: 104520
Read the paper : Sigilmassasaurus is Spinosaurus: A reappraisal of African spinosaurines (opens in a new tab)
Close relatives
Other members of Spinosauridae
Sources: Wikidata