Terrifying new dinosaur species resurfaces after century of neglect

© nnguyen21/Pixabay

The dusty archives of the Bavarian State Collection of Paleontology and Geology hid a beautiful secret within them. Black-and-white photographs from before the Second World War that allowed paleontologists in Munich to reconstruct the existence of an unknown giant dinosaur that lived 95 million years ago in Egypt. The results of their investigation were published in the journal PLOS One on January 14.

A Miraculously Preserved Archive

Our story begins in 1914, when fossil collector Richard Markgraf unearthed a partial skeleton of a specimen in the Bahariya Oasis, in Egypt. The bones then joined the Munich collection of paleontologist Ernst Stromer von Reichenbach.

For three decades, these remains remained classified as belonging to the genus Carcharodontosaurus, (meaning ” shark-toothed lizard “), carnivorous dinosaurs that lived during the Cenomanian stage of the Upper Cretaceous, in what is now North Africa. It was one of the largest land predators that ever existed, often compared to the Tyrannosaurus rex, due to its massive size and apex predator status.

These skeletal elements were later destroyed in an Allied air raid on Munich in April 1944. A massive attack, involving hundreds of bombers, which caused considerable damage to the city and its cultural institutions, including the museum housing the precious fossils. Only a few illustrations, photographs and notes remained, which you can preview below.

Anatomical drawings of the skeleton made by Stromer. © Stromer E. Ein Skelett-Rest von Carcharodontosaurus nov. gen. 1931;9: 1–31

A young researcher's fresh perspective

Maximilian Kellermann, master's student at the 8217;Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, recently unearthed new archival photographs of the fossil dating from 1914. His analysis of the images, which show parts of the skull, spine and hind limbs, shows notable differences with the remains of Carcharodontosaurususually found in Morocco.

« The historical images have given us a big surprise […] The classification established by Stromer at the time therefore turns out to be inaccurate » confides Kellermann. This observation therefore led to the identification of a new species: the Tameryraptor markgrafi. … (” thief “), reached an impressive length of 10 metersIts distinctive features include a prominent nasal horn and symmetrical dentition, essential for ensuring efficient and balanced masticatory function. The researchers have nevertheless established links to the Carcharodontosaurs of North Africa and South America, as well as to the Metriacanthosaurs of Asia, another genus of theropod dinosaur (bipedal posture and carnivorous diet).

For Oliver Rauhut, an employee at the Bavarian State Collection, this is a major discovery : ” The dinosaur fauna of North Africa was probably much more diverse than we thought. This work demonstrates that paleontologists would benefit from excavating not only the soil, but also ancient archives ».

The problem is that the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature generally advises against classifying species based solely on descriptions and illustrations. The latter can be influenced by the bias of the observer, the angle of view, the quality of lighting, etc. This can lead to different interpretations and misclassifications. The researchers, however, justify their approach by the exceptional nature of the case, while recognizing that only the discovery of new fossils in the Bahariya oasis would allow a more complete evaluation of the Cretaceous predator fauna in this region.

• Paleontologists have identified a new species of Egyptian dinosaur based on old photographs from before World War II.
• The 33-foot (10-meter) predator, with a distinctive nasal horn, differs from specimens previously classified as Carcharodontosaurus.
• Researchers stress the importance of considering the historical record, while hoping to find new fossils to confirm the findings.

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