Carcharodontosaurus saharicus

Carcharodontosaurus, a massive and fearsome theropod dinosaur from the mid-Cretaceous period, roamed what is now North Africa around 100 million years ago, and was one of the largest carnivores of its time, growing up to 13 meters (43 feet) in length and weighing over 7 tons. Its name, meaning "shark-toothed lizard," reflects its most distinctive feature: a set of long, serrated teeth resembling those of a great white shark, which were perfectly suited for slicing through the flesh of its prey, including large herbivorous dinosaurs like Apatosaurus and Camarasaurus. Carcharodontosaurus had a robust, yet relatively lightweight, body built for speed and power, with long hind limbs for swift running and a large, muscular tail for balance, helping it maintain agility as it chased down prey in the open landscapes of ancient Africa. Its skull, elongated and narrow, was equipped with large, forward-facing eyes that would have given it excellent binocular vision, critical for spotting prey from a distance. Additionally, the dinosaur’s large nasal passages suggest that it may have had a keen sense of smell. Carcharodontosaurus' hunting style is thought to have involved ambushing or outpacing slower prey, using its powerful bite to incapacitate victims quickly. As one of the top predators of the Cretaceous ecosystem, it competed with other giant theropods like Spinosaurus and Tyrannosaurus for dominance in the food chain, although it lived in different parts of the world. Fossils of Carcharodontosaurus have been found in what is now Morocco and Algeria, offering important insights into the diversity and evolutionary paths of large theropods during the Cretaceous period.