More Dinosaurs: New Spinosaurus Skeleton

Credit: University of Chicago, Fossil Lab

Yes, back to dinosaurs. Hey, when there's big news, it's gotta be reported on. This is no obscure dinosaur either, it may not be T-Rex, but you've heard of Spinosaurus.  It's been featured in one of the Jurassic Park movies, though as it turns out, it was portrayed inaccurately.  Our knowledge of Spinosaurus comes from an incomplete skeleton found a century ago which was lost during the Second World War. Again with the lost dinosaur bones, but at least having bombs dropped on them is a valid excuse. We knew it was big, the biggest carnivorous dinosaur ever, and we envisioned it like every other big carnivorous dinosaur.

This assumption has turned out to be incorrect. Spinosaurus aegyptiacus was more crocodile than Tyrannosaurus, spending much of its time in the water, courtesy of a whole host of unique adaptations that have never been seen on dinosaurs. It's actually the first aquatic dinosaur ever, and it also happens to be one of the biggest. While it was capable of moving around on land, it likely lumbered about on all fours, and was much more comfortable in the water. Scientists still aren't sure what purpose the big giant sail served, but clearly, it wasn't meant for stealth. Big giant thing like that probably wasn't capable of stealth.