Length 1.41 inches 35.7mm
Date Obtained February 2020
Location Kem Kem beds, Begga, Morocco
Age 96 million years, Cenomanian, Cretaceous
This carcharodontosaurus tooth, while not particularly large or in the best condition, is priced to match, and would be a great addition to a budget collection or that of the young enthusiast. The enamel is mostly present, as are some serrations on both sides. A bargain way to own a piece of one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs ever.
It is currently being debated whether there are one or two species of carcharodontosaurus in the Kem Kem Beds. The possible second species, Sauroniops pachytholus, is known only from a skull fragment, but the main species Carcharodontosaurus saharicus is believed to have been as large, or even larger, than Tyrannosaurus rex, with a length of at least 13 meters long. As a land predator, it is believed that it would have preyed on other dinosaurs such as sauropods and iguanodonts. Its teeth were well-suited to cut through flesh, adequate considering the lack of large armored dinosaurs in the region.
The Kem Kem Beds of Morocco date to the middle of the Cretaceous Period and seem to preserve an unusual delta ecosystem with a high proportion of carnivores, including Spinosaurus, Carcharodontosaurus, two abelisaurids, Deltadromeus and an abundance of crocodylomorphs, in addition to many species of freshwater fish. Herbivorous dinosaurs seem to consist almost entirely of sauropods and some paleontologists believe that aquatic prey served the base of the predatory food chain.