Bigger Than T. rex: Spinosaurus
Sept. 11, 2014 - Newly discovered fossils revealed that Spinosaurus, bigger than T. rex,
was an excellent swimmer, unlike any other dinosaur. Found in the sands
of Morocco, the bones suggest that, unlike its land-dwelling cousins, this meat-eating creature likely fed
on sharks and other fish. Spinosaurus was about 50 feet long, and the "sail" on its back was perhaps a display structure. National Geographic
Emerging Explorer Nizar Ibrahim and colleagues published their findings
in Science magazine today.
For more on
Spinosaurus, visit the exhibit at the National Geographic Museum in Washington, D.C., through
April 12, 2015.
Learn more in the October, 2015 issue of
National Geographic Magazine,
and this news article.
Transcript
NIZAR IBRAHIM, PALEONTOLOGIST, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EMERGING
EXPLORER:
Spinosaurus is
probably the most bizarre dinosaur out there.
Looking at Spinosaurus, I always feel like I’m working on an
alien from outer space. It’s unlike any
other dinosaur. It’s the largest
predatory dinosaur. It’s bigger than T. rex by a good margin. But really the most interesting thing for me
is that it is the first dinosaur that really took to the water.
PAUL SERENO, PALEONTOLOGIST, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER:
This animal is something that is really adapted like a
crocodile. It has a mean, crocodile-like
head and long neck. And like a
crocodile, it’s got a good tail.
Flat and spreaded toes might have
been webbed for swimming. We think that
these are prima fascia evidence, they are really great clues for an aquatic
lifestyle.
NIZAR IBRAHIM, PALEONTOLOGIST, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EMERGING
EXPLORER:
One of the most striking features
in the skeleton is the big sail.
Basically, a series of long spines on the back of the animal. And in Spinosaurus you have these boney, blade-shaped bones as tall as a person.
PAUL SERENO, PALEONTOLOGIST, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER:
This was a display. It was to make yourself look bigger. It's to let you know that you're, you're
compatriots in the environment can see you.
It's to let them know you are there.
A flag ship of the dinosaur is what that sail seems to represent. Something that was brightly colored for
purposes of communication within its species.
NIZAR IBRAHIM, PALEONTOLOGIST, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EMERGING
EXPLORER:
The river system that I was working
on is located in the border region between Morocco and Algeria. Really, it’s one big river system that
existing in what is today the Sahara. So
it is a huge area and it existed for a pretty long time. And so these predators carved out these very
different ecological niches and really ruled this part of Africa for millions and millions of years.
You’ve seen it many times on your
computer screen and we’re working on this digital model for many months and we
were tweaking it every day. But seeing
it life-size was really incredible because I think it was difficult to really
visualize in your mind what a 50-foot long predator looks like. You really have to walk up to it. And you just look at the arms and you go
like, “Wow! This thing could just grab me and pull me into three pieces. “
And that’s when you realize A how
big this animals was but also how beautiful it was. It really is an amazing creature. Finally seeing it all come together and see
the mounted skeleton was a really magical moment and I don’t think, you know, you experience
many moments like this in your career.
