The giant stork-like dinosaur spinosaur that lived in North Africa 100 million years ago, fed by snatching fish from the shore, the study shows
- Spinosaurus was one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs to reach 49ft
- Earlier theories suggest that they actively hunted prey by swimming in the sea
- British and American researchers now believe that it looks more like a heron or a stork
- He would have stayed mainly on shore eating fish and small prey on land
The giant carnivorous dinosaur Spinosaurus snatched the fish from the shore, while hunting and small prey on land, according to a new study on its behavior.
Earlier theories suggest that the 49-foot beast that lived 100 million years ago was a “mostly aquatic predator” that used its long tail to swim and track fish in the water.
The new study by Queen Mary University of London – based on the analysis of other dinosaurs and lizards that lived on land or at sea – found little evidence to support the idea of the massive dinosaur as an aquatic predator.
They found that it was not well adapted to aquatic life and looked more like a “giant heron or stork” following the shore for fish and small predators.
Reconstruction of the life of a Spinosaurus that enters the water and fishing. A giant carnivorous dinosaur Spinosaurus snatched fish from the shore while hunting small prey on land, according to a new study on its behavior
African saddle storks feeding with their beaks partially underwater – Spinosaurus could have done something similar by celebrating on shore for animals and fish
First discovered by paleontologists in 1915, the ecology and biology of the massive carnivorous beast has puzzled researchers for decades.
Dr. David Hone, senior lecturer at Queen Mary and lead author of the project, said their analysis of other creatures – living and extinct – revealed evidence of heron-like behavior, but none supports him as an aquatic predator.
“Some studies have suggested that it is actively tracking fish in the water,” Hone said, “but although they could swim, they would not have been fast or efficient enough to do so effectively,” he added.
“Our findings suggest that the idea of ford is much better supported, even if it’s a little more interesting,” Hone explained.
Researchers have studied the probable position of the Spinosaurus head in the water, determining that it is not suitable to open the aquatic pursuit of fish.
Co-author Tom Holtz, a senior lecturer in vertebral paleontology at the University of Maryland, added that the creature was a “bizarre animal even by dinosaur standards.”
He said the Spinosaurus is “different from anything in life today,” adding that “trying to understand its ecology will always be difficult.”
“We tried to use what evidence we have to get as close as possible to his way of life. And what we found didn’t match the attributes we might expect from an aquatic predator in the manner of an otter, a sea lion, or a short-necked plesiosaur.
One of the key pieces of evidence discovered by the researchers was related to the dinosaur’s ability to swim.
Spinosaurus has already proven to be a less efficient swimmer than a crocodile, but it also has fewer tail muscles than a crocodile and, due to its size, would have much more water resistance.
Dr. Hone said: “Crocodiles are excellent in water compared to terrestrial animals, but they are not as specialized for aquatic life and are not able to actively run after fish.
“If Spinosaurus had fewer muscles on its tail, less efficiency and more endurance, then it’s hard to see how these dinosaurs could track fish in a way that crocodiles can’t,” he added.
Dr. Holtz said that despite this, the evidence suggests that the creature was partially or even fed in water – more than any other large dinosaur.
The researchers found that Spinosaurus (the fossil in the image on the left) looks more like a stork or a heron (top right) in the way they feed than the crocodile (bottom right).
The reconstructed skeleton of a moderately sized Spinosaurus, showing its famous back and tail panel
“But this is a different statement of being a fast swimmer who pursues aquatic prey,” he added.
Although Dr. Hone concludes: “While our study provides a clearer picture of Spinosaurus ecology and behavior, there are still many outstanding questions and details to consider for future study.
“We need to keep reviewing our ideas as we gather additional evidence and data about these unique dinosaurs. This will not be the last word on the biology of these amazing animals.
The findings were published in the journal Palaeontologia Electronica.
SPINOSAURUS: ONE OF THE LARGEST CARNIVOR DINOSAURS
Originally found in Egypt, Spinosaurus is believed to be one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs in existence – probably reaching over 49 meters in length.
Spinosaurus (right) faces a T-rex in the movie Jurassic Park III. The 50-foot, seven-ton spinosaurus was the largest known carnivorous dinosaur and lived in North Africa 100 million years ago.
Thoughts on his feeding behavior vary, with some studies suggesting that he was an active aquatic predator – tracking fish in the sea.
Other studies suggest that it was a heron-like shore-feeder – catching fish and small prey from the ground, without venturing out to sea to actively pursue fish.
It lived in the Late Cretaceous era – 99 to 93.5 million years ago and lived in what is now North Africa.
There are two known species of Spinosaurus that have been named so far:
- Spinosaurus aegyptiacus or Egyptian spine lizard
- The disputed Spinosaurus maroccanus or the lizard of the Moroccan spine
The first known fossils of Spinosaurus were destroyed by Allied bombing during World War II, which prevented the paleontologist’s attempts to understand unusual creatures.
More recently, the dinosaur found its fame in the 2001 film Jurassic Park III, where he fights and defeats a Tyrannosaurus rex.