In Depth
Veterupristisaurus is a genus of carcharodontosaurid theropod dinosaur that lived in Africa during the late Jurassic. So far Veterupristisaurus is only known from a few vertebrae, but comparisons to Acrocanthosaurus have yielded an estimated range for the holotype individual of Veterupristisaurus of between eight and a half and ten meters in length. This is well within the upper size range for carcharodontosaurid theropods which can easily hit twelve to thirteen meters in length.
With the holotype specimen of Veterupristisaurus hailing from the Tendaguru formation we know that Veterupristisaurus lived at the end of the Jurassic, earlier than most other carcharodontosaurids which were more common in the early Cretaceous and early stages of the Late Cretaceous. This is reflected in the choice of name since Veterupristisaurus translates as ‘old shark lizard’.
Further Reading
-Theropod dinosaurs from the Late Jurassic of Tendaguru (Tanzania). - Special Papers in Palaeontology 86: 195–239. - Oliver W. M. Rauhut - 2011.
