Re: More Suchomimus thoughts

[Jim Kirkland <dis@gj.net>]

Bolton Museum, Art Gallery & Aquarium wrote:
> 
> Has anyone any details on the lungfish species found in the same
> deposits? These and many other fish which live in swamps and
> river deltas possess accessory respiratory organs enabling them to
> breath atmospheric air.This requires regular trips to the surface
> where they could concievably become prey for an animal such as
> Suchomimus.

?Neoceratodus africanus and ?Neoceratodus tuberculatus both occur widely
in rocks of this age across North Africa and definitively occur in the
Suchimimus bearing strata in Niger. Their tooth plates are huge and at
up to 15+ cm long by 8 cm wide (max) are perhaps largest in fossil
record. N. africanus is pretty common. I would say 2-3 meters long is
not unlikely. Also as opposed to Lepidotes a large, typically marine
fish that might have spawned seasonably in these rivers, N. africanus
would probably live in these rivers year round. There are also smaller
lungfish species, sharks and a variety of other actinopterygians from
these beds.

There would have been a lot of fish for Suchimimus.

Jim Kirkland