Auroraceratops: The Giant Spinosaurid of Niger

Oxalaia is a spinosaurid dinosaur from the mid-Cretaceous of Niger, estimated to reach 12–14 meters in length, making it one of the largest spinosaurids known from Africa. Although its fossil record consists only of partial snout and jaw fragments, their immense size indicates that Oxalaia was a superpredator. It coexisted with Suchomimus in the same region during a similar time period but was significantly larger. Its teeth and jaw structure suggest a diet primarily composed of fish, though it may have also hunted other aquatic and terrestrial prey. The discovery of Oxalaia reveals that Cretaceous African river systems hosted size-diversified spinosaurid communities, with different species occupying distinct ecological niches.