Theropod pedal unguals from the Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) of Morocco, Africa

Abstract

Two different theropod pedal unguals from the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian) of Tafilalt, Morocco are described. One of them belongs to a slender kind of abelisauroid theropod. Comparison with other members of this group reveals that abelisauroid unguals show high morphological diversity in congruence with what is known on other parts of the skeleton. Another large-sized ungual resembles that described as "Spinosaurus B" by Stromer (1934), and is here referred with caution to Theropoda, although ignoring to which theropod lineage it belongs. Comparisons between northern (e.g., Sahara, Africa and Brazil) and southern (e.g., Patagonia) Gondwanan Cretaceous dinosaur faunas reveal some differences leading to the conclusion that Gondwanan faunas were not uniform across this supercontinent.