Suchomimus

Suchomimus is a genus of large theropod dinosaur that lived in what is now Niger during the Aptian to Albian stages of the Early Cretaceous period, 112 million years ago. The only known species is S. tenerensis, originally described in 1998 by paleontologist Paul Sereno and colleagues from several fossils discovered one year earlier in the Elrhaz Formation. Although these fossils come from multiple specimens, they represent one of the most anatomically well-documented spinosaurids. The animal's generic name, which means "crocodile mimic", alludes to its elongated skull and piscivorous adaptations, while the specific name refers to the Ténéré Desert, where the fossils were discovered.

With an estimated length of 9.5–11 metres (31–36 ft) and a body mass ranging from 2.5–3.8 metric tons (2.8–4.2 short tons), Suchomimus was a particularly large theropod. As its generic name suggests, the animal’s skull was elongated, low, and narrow, resembling that of crocodilians. The tip of the snout flared laterally to form a rosette, and the jaws bore numerous finely serrated conical teeth, with the largest ones positioned near the front. The neck of Suchomimus was relatively short, while its powerfully built forelimbs bore a large, curved claw on each thumb. Along the midline of the animal's back ran a low dorsal sail, built from the long neural spines of its vertebrae. Its cranial and limb features indicate that it was a primarily piscivorous predator adapted for hunting in shallow waters.

Many paleontologists consider Suchomimus to be a probable junior synonym of the contemporaneous spinosaurid Cristatusaurus, although the latter taxon is based on much more fragmentary remains. Some researchers have also suggested that Suchomimus might represent an African species of the European spinosaurid Baryonyx, and it has occasionally been referred to in the scientific literature as B. tenerensis. However, more recent studies continue to regard the two genera as distinct. According to the fossil record of the Elrhaz Formation, Suchomimus lived and hunted in a fluvial environment of vast floodplains alongside many other dinosaurs, in addition to pterosaurs, crocodylomorphs, bony fishes, turtles, and bivalves.