Large stork-like dinosaur exhibits that lived in North Africa 100 million years ago fed by catching fish from the shore, study shows
- Spinosaurus was one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs reaching up to 49 feet
- Previous theories suggested that they actively hunted prey by swimming in the sea
- British and American researchers now believe it was more like a heron or a cork
- He would have stayed mostly on the shore eating fish and small land raids
A giant carnivorous dinosaur Spinosaurus would catch fish from the shore while also hunting small prey on land, according to a new study of its behavior.
Previous theories had suggested that the 49-foot beast that lived 100 million years ago and used its long tail to swim and hunt fish in the water was a ‘largely aquatic predator’.
The new study by Queen Mary University of London – based on an analysis of dinosaurs and other lizards that lived on land or sea – found little evidence to support the idea of the dinosaur. great as a water predator.
They found that it did not change well in the water of life and was more like a ‘large heron’ stalking the shore for fish and small land predators.
Reconstruction of life of Spinosaurus wading in the water and fishing. Spinosaurus giant carnivorous dinosaur was catching fish from the shore while also hunting small prey on land, according to a new study carried
Saddle lip storms in Africa rummaging with their beaks partially submerged – Spinosaurus may have had something like a beach party for animals and fish
Originally discovered by palaeontologists in 1915, the ecology and biology of the carnivorous monster has been a concern for researchers for decades.
Dr David Hone, Queen Mary’s Senior Lecturer and lead author of the project, said his analysis of other creatures – living and extinct – revealed evidence of heron-like behavior, but gin supports him as a water predator.
‘Some studies suggested that he was actively running fish in water,’ said Hone, ‘but even if they could swim, they would not have been fast or efficient enough to do this to effectively, ‘he said.
‘Our findings suggest that the idea of wading has much better support, even if it’s a little more interesting,’ Hone explained.
Researchers examined the Spinosaurus-like head position in the water, confirming that it was not appropriate to open a fish for water.
Co-author Tom Holtz, Senior Lecturer in Vertebrae Paleontology, University of Maryland, described the creature as a ‘strange animal even by dinosaur standards’.
He described the Spinosaurus as’ unlike anything alive today ‘, saying that’ trying to understand ecology will always be difficult. ‘
We tried to use the evidence we have to estimate his lifestyle. And our findings did not match the expected qualities of a water-chasing predator in the form of an otter, a sea lion, or a short-necked plesiosaur. ‘
One of the key pieces of evidence the researchers found was related to the dinosaur’s ability to swim.
Spininurus has already 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 there would be a lot more drag in the water.
Dr Hone said: ‘Crocodiles are excellent in water compared to terrestrial animals, but they are less specific to aquatic life and cannot actively pursue fish.
‘If Spinosaurus had fewer muscles on the tail, less efficiency and more sluggishness it’s hard to see how these dinosaurs could run fish in a way that crocodiles can’t,’ he said.
Dr. Holtz said that despite this, the evidence shows that the creature is fed almost, or even mostly, in the water – more than any other giant dinosaur.
The researchers found that the Spinosaurus (fossil pictured left) was more like a stalk or a heron (top right) in terms of feeding than the crocodile (below on the right)
Reconstructed skeleton of a medium-sized Spinosaurus showing its famous floating back and tail
‘But that’s a different claim because it’s a fast swim running after an aqueous raid,’ he said.
While Dr Hone concludes: ‘While our study provides us with a clearer picture of the ecology and behavior of Spinosaurus, many questions and details remain to be explored for future study.
‘We need to continue to review our ideas as we gather more evidence and data about these particular dinosaurs. This is not the last word on the biology of these amazing animals. ‘
The findings were published in the journal Palaeontologia Electronica.
SPINOSAURUS: ANY OF THE LARGEST CARNIVOROUS DINOSAURS
Originally found in Egypt, Spinosaurus is thought to be one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs – possibly reaching over 49 feet in length.
Spinosaurus (right) goes against 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
Opinions vary on his method of feeding, with some studies showing that he was an active predator – running fish in the sea.
Other studies claim that it fished for herons-like shores – catching fish and small land prey without going out to sea to actively seek out fish.
He lived at the end of the Cretaceous period – 99 to 93.5 million years ago and lived in present-day North Africa.
Two species of Spinosaurus have been named so far:
- Spinosaurus aegyptiacus or Egyptian spine lizard
- The controversial Spinosaurus maroccanus lizard or Moroccan spine lizard
The first known Spinosaurus fossils were destroyed by Allied bombing during World War II, which thwarted the efforts of a palaeontologist to understand the strange creatures.
The dinosaur recently found fame in the 2001 film Jurassic Park III, where he fights and defeats Tyrannosaurus rex.