Igdamanosaurus

Ig-dam-a-no-sore-us.
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Harper Gray

Paleoartist

Harper Grey combines artistic talent with scientific precision to bring extinct creatures and environments back to life. Collaborating closely with paleontologists

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Name

Igdamanosaurus ‭(‬Igdamano lizard‭ ‬-‭ ‬after Mt Igdaman‭)‬.

Phonetic

Ig-dam-a-no-sore-us.

Named By

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Squamata,‭ ‬Mosasauridae,‭ ‬Plioplatecarpinae.

Diet

Carnivore/Durophagivore.

Species

I.‭ ‬aegyptiacus

Size

Uncertain due to incomplete fossils,‭ ‬but estimated around‭ ‬3.5‭ ‬meters long.

Known locations

Niger,‭ ‬Egypt.

Time Period

Maastrichtian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Partial jaw and teeth.

In Depth

       Fossil teeth of Igdamanosaurus were originally described as a species of the mosasaur Globidens by Zdansky in‭ ‬1935,‭ ‬a later study of a partial jaw from Niger by Lingham-Soliar in‭ ‬1991‭ ‬saw the remains raised to the status of a distinct genus.‭ ‬Additionally Igdamanosaurus is now classed within the Plioplatecarpinae due to the idea that it was less suited to crunching armoured prey like shellfish than other mosasaurs such as Globidens.

Further Reading

– The occurrence of mosasaurs in Egypt and in Africa in general. – Bulletin de l’Institut d’Egypte 17: 83-94. – O. Zdansky – 1935. – Mosasaurs from the Upper Cretacous of Niger. – Palaeontology 34(3):653-670. – T. Lingham-Soliar – 1991.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT