Dinosaur genus

Carcharodontosaurus

(Stromer 1931)

Carcharodontosaurus is a dinosaur genus known from bones, found in rocks 143.1–93.9 million years old, in 6 countries, most often Algeria and Niger.

Also calledja カルカロドントサウルスzh 鯊齒龍

medium

medium: Only Wikidata gives this; nothing contradicts it.

Confidence labels

VisibleOn tapHidden

How sure are we?5 high14 medium10 lowHow we rate confidence

Confidence labels are switched off. Facts with low confidence, or where sources disagree, still carry a small dot: tap it for the reason.

At a glance

Data as of 5 October 2026

143.1–93.9 Ma

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114366

Solid: the ages of its dated fossils, 143.1–93.9 million years ago (Omnisaura's calculation). Pale: the published range, 143.1–72.2 million years ago, which also counts records Omnisaura leaves out.

The last non-bird dinosaurs died out 66 million years ago. That's as far from us as the end of this bar.

Named by: (Stromer 1931)
high
high: PBDB and Wikidata agree.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Described in: E. Stromer (1931). Ergebnisse der Forschungsreisen Prof. E. Stromers in den Wüsten Ägyptens. II. Wirbeltier-Reste der Baharîjestufe (unterstes Cenoman). 10. Ein Skelett-Rest von Carcharodontosaurus nov. gen. Abhandlungen der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften Mathematisch-naturwissenschaftliche Abteilung, Neue Folge 9: 1–23.
high
high: PBDB gives this publication for the name; its author and year match the naming authority ((Stromer 1931)), on which PBDB and Wikidata agree.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. The publication the Paleobiology Database gives as the authority for this genus name, usually the one that first named and described it.
Lived: Berriasian to Campanian, 143.1–72.2 million years ago
high
high: PBDB and NHM agree.
Omnisaura calculation143.1–93.9 million years ago, from its dated fossil records
medium
medium: Omnisaura's calculation from 35 confirmed PBDB records.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Fossils found in: Morocco
high
high: NHM and PBDB both record it.
Algeria
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (12 records).
Brazil
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (2 records).
Niger
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (8 records).
Tunisia
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (3 records).
Egypt
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
mixed
mixed: Levels differ between entries; each has its own.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database; Natural History Museum Data Portal. How it was chosen: Union of all sources (ISO 3166).
Rock formations: 13, including Continental Intercalaire, Ifezouane, Echkar and Elrhaz
mixed
mixed: Levels differ between entries; each has its own.
Show all 13, each with its confidence
Aïn el Guettar
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (2 records).
Continental Intercalaire
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (8 records).
Echkar
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (3 records).
Elrhaz
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (3 records).
Ifezouane
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (7 records).
Alcântara
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Douira
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Douiret
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Gara Samani
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Kem Kem Beds
disputed
low: Only NHM gives this name and it matches no PBDB formation; awaiting an editor.
Quseir
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Tagrezou Sandstone
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Undifferentiated Unit
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database; Natural History Museum Data Portal. How it was chosen: Canonical names, automatic and editor-approved matches applied.
Family: Carcharodontosauridae
high
high: PBDB and NHM agree.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database; Natural History Museum Data Portal. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Parent group: Carcharodontosauridae
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Order: Saurischia
medium
medium: Only NHM gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Sources
Given by: Natural History Museum Data Portal. How it was chosen: Gap filled from NHM.
Species named in its records: Carcharodontosaurus iguidensis, Carcharodontosaurus saharicus
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database (the species its fossil records are identified as).
Older or other names: Sauroniops (a junior synonym)
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database (names it treats as this genus).
Diet: carnivore (inferred for its group)
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this, and it infers it for the whole of Theropoda, the group this genus belongs to, not from this genus's own fossils.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB, inferred from a group the genus belongs to.
Way of life: ground dwelling, solitary (inferred for its group)
low
low: PBDB infers this way of life for the whole of Theropoda; behaviour is rarely known for one genus.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB, inferred from a group the genus belongs to.
Known from: Bones
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database (what the name was based on).

Sources: Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0), Natural History Museum Data Portal (CC0 1.0), Wikidata (CC0 1.0)Confidence levels and gaps are Omnisaura's own assessment.

Gaps are answers

What isn't known yet

Type species: no source we use gives it yet.
What it was named after: no source we use gives it yet.
Held back: 8 fossil records left out: identified only tentatively (for example "cf.", "?" or the name in quotation marks).
Resting on one source: 4 facts come from a single source with nothing against them (rated medium): parent group (PBDB); order (NHM); common names (Wikidata); diet (PBDB).

Size and appearance aren't covered yet, and diet and way of life only as PBDB infers them for the wider group. Omnisaura leaves the rest out rather than guess.

Where sources disagree

1 open

Formations

records nothing herePBDB
Kem Kem BedsNHM

One source names a formation the other does not. An editor hasn't ruled yet, so this is rated low until they do.

Did it meet…?

Did Carcharodontosaurus meet ?

No. Carcharodontosaurus had gone at least 10.3 million years before Tyrannosaurus appears in the fossil record.

Going by the ages and rock formations of their dated fossils, as on the map. Compare their fossil sites on the map.

Connections

Genera linked to Carcharodontosaurus by where and when their fossils were found, by classification and by who named them. Select a name to open its page.

Same rocks, same time 10

Genera found in the same rock units, from rocks of overlapping age, the most shared fossil sites first.

Spinosaurus Ouranosaurus Nigersaurus Suchomimus Aegyptosaurus Afromimus Bahariasaurus Eocarcharia Megalosauropus Spinostropheus

Same family: Carcharodontosauridae 7

Other genera in Carcharodontosauridae with a full profile.

Acrocanthosaurus Concavenator Eocarcharia Giganotosaurus Taurovenator Tyrannotitan Veterupristisaurus

Named by Stromer 3

Genera whose naming authority includes the same surname. The authority has no initials, so different people who share a surname can appear together.

Aegyptosaurus Bahariasaurus Spinosaurus

Found in Algeria 8

Other genera found in Algeria, from rocks of overlapping age, the most fossil sites there first.

Spinosaurus Megalosauropus Therangospodus Brontopodus Columbosauripus Deltadromeus Eutynichnium Paralititan

Where its fossils were found

32 fossil sites, with present-day and ancient positions

Open the map at this time

Cite this page

Omnisaura (2026). Carcharodontosaurus. Future Sailors. https://www.omnisaura.com/genera/carcharodontosaurus. Data as of 5 October 2026.

What's changed

No changes since the change log started (11 Oct 2026).

Every change to Omnisaura

Use this data

Download this genus as JSON With every source and licence attached. Also recorded in: Paleobiology Database · Wikipedia (English) · GBIF · Wikidata Spotted a problem? Tell us

Pictures

3 openly licensed pictures of Carcharodontosaurus on Wikimedia Commons and museum sites, each with its own author and licence.

Carcharodontosaurus.jpg
Franko Fonseca from Redondo Beach, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
NHMUK PV R 37206 and 37207
The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London, CC BY 4.0
NHMUK PV R 37206 and 37207
The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London, CC BY 4.0

Credits

Where this page comes from

Paleobiology DatabaseCC BY 4.0 · fossil records, ages, classification
Natural History Museum Data PortalCC0 1.0 · catalogued specimens
WikidataCC0 1.0 · names and identifiers
OmnisauraOmnisaura editorial · confidence levels and gaps
PaleoMAP PaleoCoastlines (Kocsis and Scotese 2021)CC BY 4.0 · ancient coastlines on the small map
Natural EarthPublic domain · today's coastlines

Pictures linked from this page are credited beside each one, with their own licences; the full list is in the JSON download.