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A giant stork-like dinosaur, the Spinosaurus, which lived in North Africa 100 million years ago, fed by fish plucked from the shore
- Spinosaurus was one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs reaching up to 49 feet
- Previous theories suggested that they actively hunted their prey while swimming in the sea
- British and American researchers now believe it was more of a heron or stork
- It would have stayed mainly on the shore, eating fish and small terrestrial prey
The giant carnivorous dinosaur Spinosaurus has stolen fish from the shore while hunting small prey on land, according to a new study on its behavior.
Previous theories suggested that the 49-foot beast that lived 100 million years ago was a “ largely aquatic predator ” that used its long tail to swim and chase fish in the water.
The new study from Queen Mary’s University in London – based on 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 it was not well adapted to aquatic life and looked more like a “giant heron or stork” stalking the shore in search of fish and small land prey.
Reenactment of the life of a Spinosaurus wading in water and fishing. Giant carnivorous dinosaur Spinosaurus has stolen fish from the shore while hunting small prey on land, new study of its behavior finds
Saddle-billed storks in Africa feeding with their beaks partly underwater – Spinosaurus may have done something similar by feasting on the shore for animals and fish
First discovered by paleontologists in 1915, the ecology and biology of the massive carnivorous beast has intrigued 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 – found evidence of heron-like behavior, but none found supported him as an aquatic predator.
“Some studies have suggested that he actively hunted fish in the water,” Hone said, “but if they could swim they wouldn’t have been fast or efficient enough to do so effectively,” he said. he adds.
“Our results suggest that the idea of wading is much better supported, although it is slightly less exciting,” Hone explained.
The researchers investigated the likely position of the Spinosaurus’ head in the water, determining that it was not suited to the aquatic pursuit of fish.
Co-author Tom Holtz, lecturer in palaeontology of vertebrae, University of Maryland, added that the creature was a “bizarre animal even by dinosaur standards.”
He said the Spinosaurus was “ unlike anything alive today, ” adding that “ trying to understand its ecology will always be difficult. ”
“We tried to use the evidence we had to better understand his way of life. And what we found did not match the attributes one would expect in a water pursuit predator such as an otter, sea lion, or short-necked plesiosaur.
One of the main pieces of evidence the researchers found was around the dinosaur’s ability to swim.
The spinosaurus has previously been shown to be a less efficient swimmer than a crocodile, but it also has less tail muscles than a crocodile and, due to its size, is said to have significantly more drag in the water.
Dr Hone said: “Crocodiles are excellent in water compared to land animals, but are not very specialized for aquatic life and are not able to actively hunt fish.
“If the Spinosaurus had less muscle on the tail, less efficiency, and more drag, it’s hard to see how these dinosaurs could hunt fish in a way crocodiles can’t,” he said. added.
Dr Holtz said that despite this, the evidence suggests that the creature forages partly, if not mainly, in water – more than any other large dinosaur.
Researchers found that the Spinosaurus (fossil pictured left) looked more like a stork or heron (top right) in its way of feeding than the crocodile (bottom right)
Reconstructed skeleton of a medium-sized Spinosaurus showing its famous veil and tail plume
“But that’s a different claim than a fast swimmer chasing aquatic prey,” he added.
However, as Dr. Hone concludes: “While our study provides us with a clearer picture of the ecology and behavior of Spinosaurus, there are still many questions and unfinished details to be explored for future study.
“We must continue to revisit our ideas as we accumulate additional evidence and data on these unique dinosaurs. It won’t be the last word on the biology of these amazing animals.
The results were published in the journal Palaeontologia Electronica.
SPINOSAURUS: ONE OF THE LARGEST CARNIVOROUS DINOSAURS
Originally found in Egypt, the Spinosaurus is considered to be one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs to exist – possibly reaching over 49 feet in length.
Spinosaurus (right) faces off against a T-rex in the Jurassic Park III movie. The 50-foot, seven-ton Spinosaurus was the largest known carnivorous dinosaur and lived in North Africa 100 million years ago.
Thoughts about its feeding behaviors vary, with some studies suggesting it was an active aquatic predator – hunting fish in the sea.
Other studies claim it was a heron-like shore feeder – catching fish and small land prey without venturing out to sea to actively pursue fish.
He lived at the end of the Cretaceous period – 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 Moroccan lizard Spinosaurus maroccanus
The earliest known fossils of Spinosaurus were destroyed by Allied bombing raids during World War II, hampering attempts by paleontologists to understand the unusual creatures.
Most recently, the dinosaur found fame in the 2001 film Jurassic Park III, where it fights and defeats a Tyrannosaurus rex.
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