Spinosaurus is a giant theropod from Africa.
Spinosaurus is one of the largest known predatory dinosaurs, in the same size class as other giant predators like Tyrannosaurus and Giganotosaurus.
Discovery[]
In 1912, German paleotolgists discovered the bones of Spinosaurus in Egypt. These included the "spines" that showed Spinosaurus had a tall sail over 6 feet high.
In World War II, the Allied bombing of Germany destroyed the museum that housed the partial skeleton, reducing the bones to dust.
Since then, only fragments and teeth have been found.
Description []
Spinosaurus' most outstanding feature is it's sail. Other trademarks of Spinosaurus include it's long, crocodile like skull and it's long arms that ended in massive claws.
Skull[]
Spinosaurus' skull is long and somewhat thin. It's bite force would not have been extrmely powerful. However, it still would have been pretty strong, perhaps 2 tons per square inch.
It's jaws held roughly 100 teeth and they were designed like those of crocodiles. They were very conical and were perfect for grasping, not tearing, prey.
Sail[]
The sail on Spinosaurus' back is the subject of contraversy. No one really knows what it was used for. Thermoregulation and display are the most common theories.
Size[]
Spinosaurus was the longest predatory dinosaur found to date. It was over 50-56 feet in length. At the top of it's sail, Spinosaurus would have been nearly 23-25 feet tall. However, Spinosaurus was not very heavy for it's size. Spinosaurus weighed in the ballpark of 5-8 tons. That said, it was still among the largest land predators ever.
Spinosaurus size comparison
In Popular Culture[]
Spinosaurus's biggest appearce so far was in Jurassic Park III. Here, it was featured as the dominant, and very contraversial, predator. The most contraversial part was when it defeated a Tyrannosaurus at the beginning of the movie. This angered many fans and started many debates about the outcome of such a fight.
Spinosaurus has also been featured in many documentaries, books, and TV shows.