Spinosaurus (the name literally means “spine lizard) was a massive semi-aquatic, carnivorous theropod dinosaur. It is famous for having a large “sail” (up to 7 feet tall) on its back. This reptile had a semi-aquatic lifestyle and is the first dinosaur known to have spent significant time in water. Its nostrils were positioned further back on the snout and close to the eyes. These traits allowed facilitated breathing when the reptile was submerged as it hunted fish.
Figure 1. Spinosaurus, side view. It is likely that Spinosaurs was the largest carnivorous dinosaur (e.g., longer and heavier than T. rex). Spinosaurus was adapted for swimming as it had dense bones (for buoyancy control), short hind legs, and a paddle-like tail. The largest specimen was possibly 50 to 60 feet long (although that estimate is still debated). Its largest known skull is 1.75 m (6 feet) in length.
Figure 2. Geologic time range of Spinosaurus, which lived in northern Africa, between 112 – 95 million years ago [= Albian to Turonian time] during Cretaceous time.
The climate was warming when Spinosaurus lived. The body length of Spinosaurus was up to 59 feet long (18 m)! It had a semi-aquatic lifestyle and, like modern crocodiles, lived around rivers.
Figure 3. A conical tooth of Spinosaurus (x cm long, y cm wide).
Spinosaurus had a long snout and straight/conical teeth that were not curved nor bladelike, as in other theropod dinosaurs. Also, Spinosaurus teeth were not serrated. They were well adapted for eating fish and other smaller prey. In sum, its teeth are different than any other dinosaur. This figured tooth is from Cenomanian-age rocks (about 95 million years old) that are exposed at Tauoz, Morocco. Spinosaurus teeth are commonly found at this locality.
Spinosaurus was first discovered in eastern Egypt, but the remains were destroyed during World War II by bombing. New discoveries in the 21st century, especially from Morocco, have resulted in a fuller understanding of this dinosaur lived.
No comments:
Post a Comment