Pronunciation: sheh-NAN-eye-SOR-us
Meaning: Chennane lizard
Author/s: Longrich et al. (2017)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: Morocco
Discovery Chart Position: #945
Chenanisaurus barbaricus
(Chennane lizard of Barbary)Etymology
Chenanisaurus is derived from "Chennane" (for the phosphate mine of Sidi Chennane where it was found) and the Greek "sauros" (lizard). The species epithet, barbaricus, refers to Barbary (an old European term for the collective lands of the Berber People). Barbary roughly corresponds to modern day Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya, and is known as Maghreb nowadays.
Discovery
The holotype of Chenanisaurus — a partial dentary (lower jaw bone) with four tooth roots and three crowns, catalogued as OCP DEK-GE 772 — was discovered at the Sidi Chennane phosphate mine in the Ouled Abdoun Basin of Morocco, North Africa.
Referred specimens:Two isolated teeth (OCP DEK-GE-457 and DEK-GE-458) from the Couche III phosphate layer of Sidi Daoui in Morrocco's Ouled Abdoun Basin.
An isolated tooth with complete crown and partial root (WDC-CCPM-005) from the Couche III phosphate layer of Sidi Chennane in northwestern Morrocco's Ouled Abdoun Basin, near the city of Oued Zem. However, as it was obtained from a local dealer the details of its provenance are sketchy. It was described by Eric Buffetaut in 2005.
Preparator
Remmert Schouten.
