Study sheds new light on the behavior of the giant carnivorous dinosaur Spinosaurus

New research from the Queen Mary University of London and the University of Maryland has rekindled the debate over the behavior of the giant dinosaur Spinosaurus.

Since its discovery in 1915, the biology and behavior of the enormous Spinosaurus paleontologists worldwide have amazed. Recently, it has been argued that the dinosaur is largely a predator in the water, using its large tail to swim and actively chase fish in the water.

The new study, published today in Palaeontologia Electronica, disputes this recent view of Spinosaurus and suggests that although it was probably fed from the water and possibly swam, it was not well adapted to the life of a predator in the water. Instead, it was like a giant (as flightless) heron or stork – tearing fish off the shoreline while also catching any other small prey on land or in the water.

The researchers compared the characteristics of Spinosaurus to the skulls and skeletons of other dinosaurs and various living and extinct reptiles that lived on land, in the water or did both. They found that although there was several pieces of evidence that contradicted the concept of predators in the water, no one contradicted the wader-like model, and that different lines of evidence actively supported it.

Dr. David Hone, senior lecturer at Queen Mary and lead author of the project, said: “The biology and ecology of Spinosaurus has been upsetting paleontologists for decades. Some recent studies suggest that it actively hunts fish in water, but while they “if they could not swim, they would not have been fast or efficient enough to do so effectively. Our findings suggest that the wading idea is much better supported, even if it is slightly less exciting.”

Co-author Tom Holtz, principal lecturer at Vertebrae Paleontology, University of Maryland, said: “Spinosaurus was a bizarre animal, even by dinosaur standards, and unlike anything that lives today, it will always be difficult to understand its ecology. We tried to use what evidence we have to best approach the way of life, and what we found does not match the characteristics that one would expect in a predator in the water like an otter, sea lion or short-necked plesiosaurus. “

One of the most important pieces of evidence the researchers discovered was related to the dinosaur’s ability to swim. Spinosaurus has been shown to be a less efficient swimmer than a crocodile, but it also has fewer tail muscles than a crocodile, and because of its size, it has much more water in the water.

Dr. Hone said: “Crocodiles are excellent in water compared to terrestrial animals, but are not as specialized for aquatic life and are not able to actively chase fish. If Spinosaurus has less muscle on the tail, less efficiency and more resistance, then it’s hard to see how these dinosaurs could chase fish in a way that crocodiles can’t. ‘

Dr. Holtz added: “We certainly add that the evidence suggests that Spinosaurus feeds in part, even mostly, in the water, probably more than any other large dinosaur. But that is a different claim than that it is a fast swimmer that chasing after the water prey. review our ideas as we gather further. evidence and data on these unique dinosaurs. This will not be the last word on the biology of these amazing animals. ‘

Spinosaurus, originally found in Egypt, is probably one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs that is probably longer than 15 m. The first known Spinosaurus fossils were destroyed during World War II by Allied bombardments, which hindered the paleontologist’s efforts to understand these unusual creatures. More recently, the dinosaur gained notoriety in the 2001 film Jurassic Park III, where he fights and defeats a Tyrannosaurus rex.