Kem Kem Abelisaurids

Abelisaurids from the Kem Kem beds of Morocco are key to understanding the predatory diversity of the Late Cretaceous in North Africa. These theropod dinosaurs, part of the Ceratosauria clade, are characterized by their unique skull features, including short snouts with extensive ornamentation, and often vestigial forelimbs. The Kem Kem beds, dating to the Cenomanian stage, have provided evidence of at least one, if not more, undescribed large abelisaurid species. Fossils like isolated teeth, vertebrae, and a partial ilium have been found, indicating these animals coexisted with other large theropods like Spinosaurus and Carcharodontosaurus. The presence of abelisaurids here suggests a complex predator guild where niche partitioning might have been necessary for survival among multiple giant carnivores.