Morocco 1988 "Dinosaur of Tilougguite"
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| Issue Date | 18.01.1988 |
| ID | Michel: 1134; Scott: 655; Stanley Gibbons: 744; Yvert et Tellier: 1046; Category: pR |
| Design | Lisette Delooz, Belgium |
| Stamps in set | 1 |
| Value | 2.00 MAD - Cetiosaurus mogrebiensis |
| Emission/Type | commemorative |
| Issue place | Rabat |
| Size (width x height) | 40 mm x 30 mm |
| Layout | 25 stamps per sheet |
| Products | FDC x 1 |
| Paper | |
| Perforation | 13 x 13 |
| Print Technique | Photogravure, multicolour |
| Printed by | |
| Quantity | |
| Issuing Authority | Barid Al-Maghrib |
On January 18th, 1988, Barid Al-Maghrib, the Post Authority of Morocco issued the stamp "Dinosaur of Tilougguite" showing a sauropod dinosaur Cetiosaurus mogrebiensis. Fossils of Cetiosaurus mogrebiensis, were discovered near Tilougguite City in Morocco and described by French paleontologist Albert-Felix de Lapparent in 1955, based on three skeletons found in Morocco from the El Mers Formation dating to the Bathonian age (168-165 million years ago)
Albert-Félix de Lapparent (1905–1975) was a French palaeontologist, and also a Sulpician priest. Lapparent undertook a number of fossil-hunting explorations in the Sahara Desert. He contributed to knowledge about dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures. In 1986, the dinosaur Lapparentosaurus was named in his honour.
Cetiosaurus meaning 'whale lizard', is a genus of herbivorous sauropod dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic, living about 168 million years ago.
Cetiosaurus was a fairly primitive sauropod, with species in what is now England and Morocco, and relatives as far away as India and South America.
In 1842 Cetiosaurus was the first sauropod from which bones were described and is the most complete sauropod found in England. Cetiosaurus was so named because its describer, Sir Richard Owen, supposed it was a marine creature, initially an extremely large crocodile, and did not recognise it for a land-dwelling dinosaur.
Cetiosaurus was a long-necked quadrupedal dinosaur approximately 18 meters long. Its neck was as long as its body, and the tail was considerably longer, consisting of at least 40 caudal vertebrae. Its dorsal vertebrae, the bones along the back, were heavy and primitive, unlike the hollowed-out bones of advanced sauropods like Brachiosaurus. Its forearm, too, was as long as the upper arm, unlike most other sauropods. Its thigh bone was approximately 180cm in length.
Products and associated philatelic items
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References
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Technical details and short description of the stamps:
colnect. -
Cetiosaurus:
Wikipedia, Paleofiles. -
Albert-Felix de Lapparent:
Wikipedia,
Acknowledgements:
- Many thanks to Dr. Peter Voice from Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Western Michigan University, for reviewing the draft page and his valuable comments.
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