Chenanisaurus

Chenani (Sidi Chennane) lizard

• Chenani · Place name · Sidi Chennane, the locality in Morocco where it was found
• sauros · Greek · lizard

Chenanisaurus is a large abelisaurid theropod from the very end of the Cretaceous of Morocco. The name combines the Sidi Chennane area in the Oulad Abdoun Basin, where the fossils were found, with the Greek word for lizard. The only known species is Chenanisaurus barbaricus, and its species name refers to the Barbary coast of North Africa.

Named by

Longrich et al.

Year named

2017

Period

Late Cretaceous

Stage

Maastrichtian

Found in

Phosphate deposits of the Oulad Abdoun Basin, near Khouribga, Morocco

It is known from fragmentary remains, mainly a partial lower jaw. It is one of the last known abelisaurids, and one of the few non-avian dinosaurs known from the latest Cretaceous of Africa. The place-name origin is given with moderate confidence.