Scientists have unveiled new findings of the Spinosaurus aegyptiacus, the first dinosaur to live underwater.
What’s the news:
- Researchers revealed a new study that the Spinosaurus had “a stiff tapering tail, typical of other theropod dinosaurs such as the Tyrannosaurus Rex, the tail vertebrae of Spinosaurus had extraordinarily long spines that supported a large, highly flexible, fin-like tail comparable in shape to that of a crested newt.”
- Essentially, the tail acted as a paddle to help the Spinosaurus travel through water 100 million years ago.
- The Spinosaurus “had a large sail on its back and an elongated snout that resembled the maw of a crocodile, bristling with conical teeth. For decades, reconstructions of its bulky body have ended in a long, narrowing tail like the ones on its many theropod cousins.” according to National Geographic.
What they’re saying:
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David Unwin, one of the study’s authors, said: “The Spinosaurus’ fin-like tail is a game changing discovery for us that fundamentally alters our understanding of how this dinosaur lived and hunted — it was actually a ‘river-monster.’
- “As well as its tail, many other features of this dinosaur, such as the high position of the nostrils, heavy bones, short legs, and paddle-like feet point to a life spent in the water rather than on land.
- “Not only did dinosaurs dominate the land and take to the air as birds, they even went back into the water and became the top predators there as well.”
Some more notes:
- According to Fox News, researchers discovered the skeleton of the Spinosaurus in Kem Kem river beds, which is in the Sahara desert. It has previously been described as “arguably the most dangerous place in the history of planet Earth.”
- Before the study, researchers thought dinosaurs lived exclusively on land.
- CNN said: “Previous research on nonavian dinosaurs suggested these animals were restricted to dry land environments, and proposals that some groups lived in aquatic environments were considered controversial and were abandoned decades ago.”