The dusty archives of the Bavarian State Collection of Paleontology and Geology hid a very beautiful secret within them. Black and white photographs dating from before the Second World War which allowed paleontologists in Munich to reconstruct the existence of an unknown giant dinosaur having lived 95 million years ago in Egypt. The results of their investigation were published in the journal PLOS One on January 14.
Archives miraculously preserved
Our story begins in 1914, when fossil collector Richard Markgraf uncovers a partial skeleton of a specimen in the Bahariya oasisin Egypt. The bones then joined the Munich collection of paleontologist Ernst Stromer von Reichenbach.
For three decades, these remains remained classified as belonging to the genus Carcharodontosaurus(meaning “ shark tooth lizard »), carnivorous dinosaurs that lived during the Cenomanian stage of the Upper Cretaceous, in what is today North Africa. He was one of the largest terrestrial predators ever existed, often compared to Tyrannosaurus rexdue to its imposing size and its position as apex predators.
These skeleton elements were later destroyed in an Allied air raid on Munich in April 1944. A massive attack, involving hundreds of bombers, which caused considerable damage to the city and its cultural institutions, including the museum housing the precious fossils. Only a few illustrations, photographs and notes remained, of which you can have an overview below.
The fresh perspective of a young researcher
Maximilian Kellermann, a master’s student at the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, recently unearthed new archival photographs of the fossil dating from 1914. His analysis of the photos, representing parts of the skull, spine and hind limbs, shows notable differences with the remains of Carcharodontosaurus usually discovered in Morocco.
« Historical images have a big surprise in store for us […] The classification established by Stromer at the time therefore turns out to be inaccurate » confides Kellermann. This observation therefore led to the identification of a new species : the Tameryraptor markgrafi.
-This predator, whose name combines the ancient Egyptian term “ Ta-mery » (« beloved land “) to Latin ” raptor ” (” thief “), reached an impressive length of 10 meters. Its distinctive features include a prominent nasal horn and symmetrical dentition, essential for ensuring efficient and balanced masticatory function. Researchers have nevertheless established kinship links with the Carcharodontosaurs of North Africa and South America, as well as with the Metriacanthosaurs of Asia, another genus of theropod dinosaur (bipedal posture and carnivorous diet).
For Oliver Rauhut, employee at the Bavarian State Collection, this is a major discovery : « The dinosaur fauna of North Africa was likely much more diverse than we thought. This work demonstrates that paleontologists would benefit from excavating not only the soil, but also ancient archives ».
The problem is that the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature usually advises against classifying species based solely on descriptions and illustrations. These can be influenced by observer bias, viewing angle, lighting quality, etc. Which can lead to different interpretations and erroneous classifications. The researchers, however, justify their approach by the exceptional nature of the case, while recognizing that only the discovery of new fossils in the Bahariya oasis would allow a more complete assessment of the predatory fauna Cretaceous in this region.
- Paleontologists have identified a new species of Egyptian dinosaur using old photographs dating from before World War II.
- This 10 meter predator, with a distinctive nasal horn, differs from specimens previously classified as Carcharodontosaurus.
- The researchers stress the importance of considering the historical record, while hoping to discover new fossils to confirm these results.
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