Happy Dinosaur Day: Suchomimus is a genus of spinosaur theropod dinosaur that lived throughout what is now North Africa during the Aptian and early Albian stages of the Early Cretaceous period some 125 to 112 mya. The first remains of suchomimus consisting of a giant thumb claw was discovered by David Varricchio in December of 1997 in Niger while he was working for a paleontological dig lead by Paul Sereno. Throughout 1997 and 1998 the dig team would unearth a 2/3rds complete giant theropod skeleton. In 1998 Paul Sereno, Allison Beck, Didier Dutheil, Boubacar Gado, Hans Larsson, Gabrielle Lyon, Jonathan Marcot, Oliver Rauhut, Rudyard Sadleir, Christian Sidor, David Varricchio, Gregory Wilson and Jeffrey Wilson would name and describe the animal as Suchomimus tenerensis. The generic name Suchomimus meaning "crocodile mimic” in Ancient Greek, and the specific name tenerensis is after the Ténéré Desert where the animal was found. Since then several more specimens have been recovered. Reaching around 31 to 36ft (9.5 to 11m) in length and 5,500 to 11,700lbs (2,500 to 5,300kgs) in weight, suchomimus was a massive animal which had a long & low crocodile like skull supported by a thick but short neck. It had sturdy hind legs and powerfully built forelimbs which bore a giant 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. Like other spinosaurids suchomimus would have lived near bodies of water. The bulk of its diet of was likely comprised of boney fish, eels, sharks, rays, and amphibians, occasionally being supplemented with pterosaurs, crocodilians, and other dinosaurs.

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Happy Dinosaur Day: Eocarcharia is a genus of carcharodontosaurid theropod dinosaur that lived in what is now North Africa during the Aptian and Albian stages of the early cretaceous period some 125 to 112 mya. The holotype specimen of eocarcharia consisting of a partial skull was uncovered in the year 2000 during an expedition to the Elrhaz formation led by University of Chicago paleontologist Paul Sereno. These remains where found alongside the remains of an abelisaurid named Kryptops. Yet in wouldn’t be until 2008 that the animal would be formally named and described by Dr. Sereno and Dr. Brusatte. Since then some additional post cranial remains have been recovered/ reassigned from other genuses. The type and only species is Eocarcharia dinops which roughly translates to dawn shark with fierce eyes, with the specific name being in reference to the fact that Eocarcharia’s brow is swollen into a massive band of bone, giving it a menacing glare. Reaching roughly 19 to 26ft (6-8m) in length and 2,200 to 4,400lbs (1,000 to 2,000kgs) in weight, Eocarcharia would have been one of the largest predators of its environment. Likely using its sharp blade like teeth to dispatch various prey in the form of the sauropods, ornithopods, crocodiliomorphs, and smaller theropods it shared its environment with.

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