Afrovenator abakensis Sereno, Wilson, Larsson, Dutheil and Sues, 1994

Rauhut, Oliver W. M., 2003, The interrelationships and evolution of basal theropod dinosaurs, Special papers in palaeontology 69, pp. 1-213 : 28

Afrovenator abakensis Sereno, Wilson, Larsson, Dutheil and Sues, 1994

Age . Pre-Aptian Early Cretaceous (?Barremian).

Occurrence. Tiouaren Formation, northern Niger.

Diagnosis. Third cervical vertebra with a low, rectangular, almost axis-like neural spine; metacarpal I with broad flange for articulation against Me II.

Remarks. Afrovenator abakensis is one of the very few theropods from the Cretaceous of Africa known from an associated skeleton, including parts of the skull and all regions of the postcranial skeleton, and is, therefore, of considerable interest. Its very generalized, basal tetanuran morphology makes a formal diagnosis based on apomorphic characters difficult. However, the species is clearly different from all other theropods described, and the few possible autapomorphies listed above indicate that it is not a metataxon.