Afromimus (meaning "Africa mimic") is a genus of ceratosaurian theropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Elrhaz Formation of Niger.

It contains a single species, A. tenerensis, named in 2017 by Paul Sereno from parts of the right leg, vertebrae, and ribs found in the Ténéré Desert.

[1] In 2017, Paul Sereno published a description of MNBH GAD112 as the holotype specimen of a new genus and species, Afromimus tenerensis.

The genus name combines the Latin prefix Afro- ("Africa") and the Greek word mimos ("mimic"), in reference to the interpretation of the specimen as a member of the Ornithomimosauria.

Judging by the fusion in the vertebrae and between the fibula and tarsus of the holotype specimen of Afromimus, the individual had reached adult size before it died.

This trait is shared with Gallimimus and an unnamed ornithomimid from the Dinosaur Park Formation,[1][4] and contrasts with the less-broad centra of the abelisauroids Majungasaurus and Masiakasaurus; however, among the Abelisauroidea, the noasaurid Elaphrosaurus also has similar vertebrae.

Sereno noted that the latter trait is shared with Sinornithomimus and more advanced ornithomimids,[1] but the same is also present in Majungasaurus, Masiakasaurus, and several Indian abelisauroids.

Sereno considered as an autapomorphy the fact that the fused surface was half as wide front-to-back than it was side-to-side, although Ceratosaurus, Majungasaurus, and Masiakasaurus also have the same condition.

[2] At the top end of the tibia, Sereno noted an unusual elliptical attachment scar bearing a series of roughened ridges, located below the expanded lateral condyle on the outer surface of the bone.

Most ornithomimosaurs lack this scar, but it is present in the abelisauroids Masiakasaurus, Ekrixinatosaurus, Skorpiovenator, and Carnotaurus, as well as to a lesser extent in Velocisaurus and Ceratosaurus.

The actual articulating surface of the astragalus on the tibia is roughened and bears a raised lip, the medial buttress, at its inner rim, which is unknown in ornithomimosaurs but is present in Ceratosaurus and various abelisauroids.

On the inner side of the fibula, there is a deep fossa that extends smoothly onto the shaft in the form of a trough running in front of the anterior tubercle.

Nevertheless, Cerroni and colleagues noted that the tibial crest covers the fibial fossa to a much greater extent than Masiakasaurus, which is an autapomorphy.

The bottom end of the fibula in Afromimus is relatively expanded for an ornithomimosaur, but it resembles Masiakasaurus, Skorpiovenator, and Xenotarsosaurus in this respect.

He also drew attention to characteristics of the foot claws, namely the flat bottom face with a V-shaped platform and the recessed flexor attachment, which are shared with ornithomimosaurs.

Finally, adding Afromimus to the ceratosaur-centric matrix resulted in it being found as part of the Noasauridae in a polytomy (unresolved group).

However, they maintained it as a valid taxon because of the large posterior process of the chevron and the extent to which the tibial crest of the fibula covers the fibular fossa.

Their results are displayed in the cladogram below:[3] Kryptops (postcranium) Elaphrosaurinae Ceratosauridae Berberosaurus Eoabelisaurus Ligabueino Berthasaura Afromimus Austrocheirus Noasauridae Abelisauridae In 2014, Romain Allain and colleagues suggested that the close relation of the African Nqwebasaurus to Eurasian basal ornithomimosaurs indicates that the group was widespread before the breakup of Pangaea.