Discovery of Giant Dinosaur Teeth in Morocco Proves for First Time Evidence of Turiasauria in Africa
Three fossilized teeth discovered near Boulemane are rewriting Africa’s Jurassic history. Fez– Morocco’s Middle Atlas Mountains have just revealed another prehistoric treasure. A team of Moroccan and international researchers has uncovered three fossilized teeth from colossal plant-eating dinosaurs that lived roughly 168 to 166 million years ago during the Middle Jurassic Bathonian stage. The find provides the first confirmed evidence of Turiasauria — an ancient group of sauropods — ever recorded in Africa. Turiasauria dinosaurs were distant cousins of the more advanced neo-sauropods that appeared later in Earth’s history. These gentle giants are known for their distinctive teeth, crowned with heart-shaped edges, a trait clearly visible in the fossils now identified from Morocco. The researchers also noted that the Moroccan specimens differ from European representatives of the group, such as Turiasaurus riodevensis, hinting at unique evolutionary branches within this family of giants. The teeth were found in the El Mers III Formation, a geological layer in the Middle Atlas that has long been a magnet for paleontologists. This region has already produced major discoveries, including Atlasaurus Imelakei, one of the largest sauropods known, and preserved dinosaur trackways that capture moments from the lives of creatures that walked here more than 160 million years ago. What makes this latest discovery so significant is its ability to reshape the picture of dinosaur life in North Africa during the Jurassic period. Until now, no definitive fossils of Turiasauria had ever been documented on the continent. Their presence in Morocco confirms that these massive, long-necked herbivores roamed much farther than previously thought, adding an important piece to the global puzzle of sauropod evolution and migration. The implications reach far beyond three isolated teeth. By proving that Turiasauria lived in North Africa, the discovery paves the way for further exploration of Morocco’s fossil-rich landscapes. If these giants once thrived here, chances are that more skeletal remains, not just teeth, lie hidden in the rock, waiting to tell a fuller story of how these ancient herbivores evolved before the appearance of their more advanced relatives. The El Mers III Formation itself is now poised to gain even more attention. Already a landmark site for studying Middle Jurassic ecosystems, it offers paleontologists a rare window into an era when dinosaurs were diversifying rapidly across the supercontinent of Pangaea. Each new find helps map how these ecosystems functioned, how species migrated, and how climatic and geological changes shaped their world. In essence, these teeth are far more than fossilized fragments. They are solid proof that Africa played a role in the early history of some of the largest land animals ever to exist. For Morocco, which is fast becoming one of the world’s most important sources of dinosaur discoveries, this marks yet another chapter in a story written not in ink, but in stone, a story buried for millions of years beneath the Middle Atlas and now coming to light.
Scientists Are Trying to Make T. Rex Leather Bags
What if your next statement accessory came from a species that last stomped around Earth 68 million years ago? Rabat – That’s the ambitious and slightly Jurassic vision behind a new project led by a group of UK-based researchers and bioengineers. The team is attempting to create luxury leather: think clutches, totes, maybe even a handbag shaped like a fossil, from lab-grown Tyrannosaurus rex skin. No, not faux T. rex. Actual, scientifically re-engineered leather built from the collagen of the King of the Dinosaurs. If successful, this would mark the first time humanity has made leather from an extinct species. Forget cowhide, this is apex predator couture. The project is being developed by Lab-Grown Leather, a biotech company working alongside Newcastle University, Dutch creative agency VML, and genomic engineering firm The Organoid Company. According to Professor Che Connon, one of the brains behind the initiative, the T. rex leather would be biodegradable, cruelty-free, and nearly identical to traditional animal hide in both look and feel. It’s also being pitched as “ethically sound,” which is fair enough – after all, no dinosaurs were harmed in the making of this bag. The team isn’t just dreaming of Jurassic fashion runways. With the global leather goods market expected to balloon from $500 billion to $855 billion by 2032, they’re also eyeing luxury car interiors and other high-end applications. Because what says “premium” like the ghost of a Cretaceous carnivore stitched into your upholstery? But before you start planning your dinosaur-themed capsule wardrobe, here’s the reality check: this whole thing is still science fiction-adjacent. Experts, including Professor Tom Ellis of Imperial College London, are skeptical. He describes the project as being in its “very early stage” and questions whether we even know enough about dino DNA to reconstruct true T. rex collagen. And if we do pull it off? Expect eye-watering prices. The leather, though technically prehistoric, would likely feel much like cowhide or synthetic alternatives, just with a much better backstory. It’s less about functionality and more about the novelty (and bragging rights) of owning a piece of “extinct” fashion. Still, there’s an eco-argument to be made. Traditional leather comes at a hefty environmental cost, linked to deforestation and emissions from cattle farming. Meanwhile, many vegan leathers are essentially petroleum in disguise, made from plastics that linger forever. Lab-grown leather, if perfected, could offer a cleaner, compostable option, dino-based or otherwise. For now, the T. rex bag remains a high-concept dream. But in an era of AI influencers and mushroom leather sneakers, who’s to say what fashion’s next frontier looks like? If anything, this bold experiment reminds us: in fashion, as in science, the line between wild and genius is often thinner than a fossilized thread. Would you carry a T. rex clutch?
The Oldest Ceratopsid Fossil Ever Discovered in Morocco’s Boulemane
Morocco’s latest fossil find might just be the Jurassic jackpot the country has been waiting for. Fez– Imagine stumbling upon a fossil that rewrites what we know about dinosaur evolution. That’s exactly what happened in Morocco when a team of international researchers made an extraordinary discovery: the fragment of a femur belonging to the oldest ceratopsid dinosaur ever found. The fossil was uncovered in the El Mers III formation in the Middle Atlas region, a site that has been a hotbed of paleontological breakthroughs. According to Driss Ouarhache, a researcher from Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University in Fez, this femur head belongs to an herbivorous ornithischian dinosaur, which is part of the ceratopsid family; a group that has fascinated scientists for years, Moroccan news outlet Le360 said. Dating back 168 to 166 million years ago during the Middle Jurassic (Bathonian period), this fossil isn’t just another bone, it’s a game-changer. Ouarhache explains that ceratopsids, which are typically associated with the Cretaceous period (145 to 66 million years ago), were thought to have first appeared much later. But this fossil pushes their origins further back, offering a clearer picture of their evolutionary stages, long before they became the iconic herbivores scientists explored recently. Even more groundbreaking? This discovery is only the second of its kind ever found, the first being a similar femur found in the UK from a slightly later period. Ahmed Oussou, part of the team, emphasized that this discovery represents a major leap forward in our understanding of Jurassic dinosaurs, particularly in North Africa, a region still underexplored when it comes to paleontology. Scientists found the proximal portion of the left femur, including the femoral head, the greater trochanter, and part of the diaphysis (the main body of the bone). Its distinct morphological features, such as a well-defined femoral head and a notable trochanteric fossa, confirmed its identity as a ceratopsid. The El Mers III site is no stranger to major discoveries. Along with this ceratopsid, other significant discoveries have included Spicomellus afer, the oldest known ankylosaur in Africa, and Adratiklit Boulahfa, a new species of stegosaur that’s the oldest of its kind on Earth. Ouarhache highlights that the site provides evidence of some of the oldest dinosaur species ever discovered, offering scientists the opportunity to reassess their stratigraphic distribution and better understand their evolutionary relationships. Ongoing studies, including sedimentological and micropaleontological research, are helping to paint a fuller picture of the paleoenvironments that existed in the region during the Bathonian period. These studies show that the dinosaur remains were deposited in a fluvial-lacustrine system, formed after a marine regression at the end of the Bajocian and beginning of the Bathonian. And who knows what’s next to be unearthed? The possibilities are endless. Read also: Ministry of Culture Gives Artists Until March 25 to Apply for Funding
