Chebsaurus

Cheb-sor-us.
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Cassidy Wood

Paleoentomologist

Cassidy Wood uncovers the tiny yet significant world of prehistoric insects. Her research on amber-preserved specimens has revealed intricate details about ancient ecosystems.

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Name

Chebsaurus ‭(‬young man lizard‭)‬.

Phonetic

Cheb-sor-us.

Named By

F.‭ ‬Mahammed,‭ ‬E.‭ ‬L�ng,‭ ‬L.‭ ‬Mami,‭ ‬L.‭ ‬Mekahli,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬Benhamou,‭ ‬B.‭ ‬Bouterfa,‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Kacemi,‭ ‬S.‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Ch�rief,‭ ‬H.‭ ‬Chaouati‭ & ‬P.‭ ‬Taquet‭ ‬-‭ ‬2005.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Dinosauria,‭ ‬Saurischia,‭ ‬Sauropoda.

Diet

Herbivore.

Species

C.‭ ‬algeriensis‭

Size

Roughly estimated to be about‭ ‬8-9‭ ‬meters long for the holotype,‭ ‬but this is from a possible juvenile.

Known locations

Algeria.

Time Period

Mid Jurassic.

Fossil representation

Skull and partial post cranial remains,‭ ‬possibly from up to‭ ‬2‭ ‬juveniles.

In Depth

       Chebsaurus is a genus of sauropod dinosaur that is known to have‭ ‬lived‭ ‬in what is now Algeria during the Jurassic.‭ ‬The genus name for Chebsaurus means‭ ‘‬young man lizard‭’‬,‭ ‬from the Arabic word‭ ‘‬cheb‭’‬,‭ ‬combined with the Ancient Greek for lizard.‭ ‬This is because the holotype specimen of this dinosaur is from a juvenile,‭ ‬but we now also known that the total collection of known fossils of Chebsaurus‭ ‬comes from at least two juveniles.‭ ‬By extension,‭ ‬even though the holotype individual is estimated to have been between eight and nine metes long at the time of death,‭ ‬fully grown adults would have certainly been larger.‭ ‬Unfortunately,‭ ‬until fossil remains of adult Chebsaurus are found it will be impossible to say just how big Chebsaurus could grow.‭ ‬Nevertheless,‭ ‬Chebsaurus now also has the nickname,‭ ‘‬the Giant of Ksour‭’‬,‭ ‬after the Ksour Mountain range which is in northern Algeria.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬The‭ ‘‬Giant of Ksour‭’‬,‭ ‬a Middle Jurassic sauropod dinosaur from Algeria.‭ ‬Comptes Rendus Palevol‭ (‬4‭)‬707-714.‭ ‬-‭ ‬F.‭ ‬Mahammed,‭ ‬E.‭ ‬L�ng,‭ ‬L.‭ ‬Mami,‭ ‬L.‭ ‬Mekahli,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬Benhamou,‭ ‬B.‭ ‬Bouterfa,‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Kacemi,‭ ‬S.‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Ch�rief,‭ ‬H.‭ ‬Chaouati‭ & ‬P.‭ ‬Taquet‭ ‬-‭ ‬2005. -‭ ‬New anatomical data and phylogenetic relationships of Chebsaurus algeriensis‭ (‬Dinosauria,‭ ‬Sauropoda‭) ‬from the Middle Jurassic of Algeria.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Historical Biology:‭ ‬An International Journal of Paleobiology vol‭ ‬22,‭ ‬Issue‭ ‬1-3‭ ‬pp‭ ‬142-164‭ [‬Proceedings of the First International Congress on North African Vertebrate Palaeontology‭ – ‬Morocco‭ ‬2009‭] ‬-‭ ‬Emilie L�ng‭ & ‬Farida Mahammed‭ ‬-‭ ‬2010.

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