Spinosaurus terror rivers – Le Figaro

The morphology of this giant predatory dinosaur from the Cretaceous was very suitable for swimming.

The Spinosaurus dinosaur was a formidable . Probably the biggest predator the Earth has worn. With 20 tonnes and 15 meters long, it was bigger than its famous cousin, Tyrannosaurus rex. Recognizable by its large dorsal crest made of long slender bone spurs attached to the vertebrae, the mastodon had an elongated, narrow snout and flattened, somewhat like crocodiles.

door also suggests that lifestyle of this giant Cretaceous was semi-aquatic. French researchers had shown in 2010 in part by chemical analyzes performed on the teeth dinosaur Spinosaurus family. The ratios between the different oxygen isotopes were quite similar to those found today in the turtle or crocodile and very different from those found in terrestrial dinosaurs from the same era.

Many morphological characters show an amazing adaptation to swim

The discovery of a nearly complete skeleton of Spinosaurus allows today to further strengthen this hypothesis already strong. The bones, dating 97 million years have been discovered in eastern Morocco. Pieces of the skull, spine, legs, pelvis and long spines lying in sediments. Their analysis was published in the journal Science Friday.

This allows harvest advantageously replace the first Spinosaurus skeleton, discovered in Egypt in 1912 by German palaeontologist Ernst Stromer and destroyed by British bombing during the Second World War.

“Many morphological characters show an amazing adaptation to swim,” explains Nizar Ibrahim, a paleontologist at the University of Chicago and lead author of the study . “The tail is very flexible, could be used to move through the water. The nostrils are high enough on the head to prevent the water from there. The rather flat feet can both paddle effectively and move on muddy ground. “In addition, the leg bones are very heavy to foster immersion. An anatomical feature that

These indications confirm the idea that this predator spent a lot of time in the water found today among hippos, for example.. His jaw and straight, conical teeth are also very suitable for a fish-eating diet. The most likely predator sowed terror in the rivers and lakes on the mainland. An evolution that allowed him to be with other major theropods, such as T-Rex, not to dispute the same pantry.

As for the characteristic peak of Spinosaurus, it probably allowed him to prevent its potential rivals of his presence when swimming. Or to attract females during the mating season.