Adratiklit
First described eurypodan dinosaur from North Africa.
Adratiklit, whose name translates from Berber as "mountain lizard," is a genus of stegosaurian dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic (Bathonian age). It lived on the ancient supercontinent Gondwana, and its fossils—belonging to a single species, *Adratiklit boulahfa*—were uncovered in the El Mers III Formation near Boulemane in northern Morocco. This dinosaur is notable as the first eurypodan taxon formally described from North Africa. Along with *Thyreosaurus*, it also ranks among the oldest known stegosaurs.
The remains were described in a 2019 paper (published in print in early 2020) by researchers Susannah Maidment, Thomas J. Raven, Driss Ouarhache, and Paul M. Barrett. The main specimen, or holotype, is a single dorsal vertebra (catalog number NHMUK PV R37366). Additional referred material—likely from about five separate individuals—includes three cervical vertebrae, another dorsal vertebra, and a left humerus. These fossils were acquired by the Natural History Museum in the United Kingdom from fossil dealers. While the second dorsal vertebra shares clear traits with the holotype, the other bones are assigned to *Adratiklit* simply because they are clearly stegosaurian. An attempt to relocate the original site in 2018 did not yield new fossils but did help clarify the local geology. The species name *boulahfa* refers to the Boulahfa area, where the specimen was reportedly found.
The known bones include a humerus measuring 61 cm (24 in) long. Based on these remains, *Adratiklit* is estimated to have reached a body length of up to 7 meters (23 ft). Two unique features (autapomorphies) distinguish it from other stegosaurs. In its dorsal vertebrae, the prezygapophysis bears a small, triangular, rough projection on top, behind the front articulation facet of the vertebral body. Also in the dorsal vertebrae, the ridges connecting the vertebral body to the parapophyses (the contact points for the lower rib heads) end in rough, forward-projecting areas on either side of the neural canal’s front opening.
Phylogenetic analysis places *Adratiklit* closer to the European stegosaurs *Dacentrurus* and *Miragaia* (within the subfamily Dacentrurinae) than to the southern African taxa *Kentrosaurus* and *Paranthodon*.
- field
- Paleontology
- known_for
- First described eurypodan taxon from North Africa; one of the oldest known stegosaurs
- time_period
- Middle Jurassic (Bathonian age)
- location
- El Mers III Formation, near Boulemane, north Morocco
- species
- Adratiklit boulahfa
Lore & Background
Adratiklit boulahfa was described by Susannah Maidment, Thomas J. Raven, Driss Ouarhache, and Paul M. Barrett on 16 August 2019 in an article published online in the paleontological journal Gondwana Research; the article was published physically in January 2020. The holotype is a dorsal vertebra, NHMUK PV R37366. Referred specimens include three cervical vertebrae, a dorsal vertebra, and a left humerus, acquired by the Natural History Museum in the United Kingdom from fossil traders. They represent multiple individuals, probably five. An attempt in 2018 to locate the site did not produce any relevant fossils but clarified the region's geology.
The generic name Adratiklit is derived from the Berber words 'adrar', meaning 'mountain', and 'tiklit', meaning lizard. The specific name, boulahfa, refers to the area of Boulahfa near where the specimen was said to be found. The fossilized humerus is 61 cm (24 in) long, and the animal has an estimated body length of up to 7 metres (23 ft). The describers established two autapomorphies based on the dorsal vertebrae, which are unique for the Stegosauria as a whole.
Reader's Guide
Adratiklit is significant because it provides rare evidence of stegosaurian dinosaurs from Gondwana, particularly North Africa, during the Middle Jurassic. Eurypodan dinosaurs, including stegosaurs, were diverse and abundant in Laurasia but extremely rare in Gondwanan deposits. Adratiklit is the first described eurypodan taxon from North Africa and, along with Thyreosaurus, one of the oldest known stegosaurs, similar in age to Bashanosaurus, Isaberrysaura, and the informally-named 'Ferganastegos'. Its discovery helps fill a gap in the fossil record of southern continents and supports the presence of eurypodan taxa there, as indicated by fragmentary remains and trackways. Phylogenetic analysis places Adratiklit more closely related to European stegosaurs Dacentrurus and Miragaia in the subfamily Dacentrurinae than to southern African taxa Kentrosaurus and Paranthodon, suggesting biogeographic connections across the Tethys Ocean during the Jurassic.
Did You Know?
- Adratiklit means 'mountain lizard' in Berber.
- Its remains were found in the El Mers III Formation, near Boulemane in north Morocco.
- The holotype is a single dorsal vertebra, NHMUK PV R37366.
- Adratiklit is one of the oldest known stegosaurs, similar in age to Bashanosaurus and Isaberrysaura.
More in Dinosaur genera 1-24
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