What type of fossil is a Spinosaurus?
spinosaurid dinosaur
Spinosaurus (meaning “spine lizard”) is a genus of spinosaurid dinosaur that lived in what now is North Africa during the Cenomanian to upper Turonian stages of the Late Cretaceous period, about 99 to 93.5 million years ago.
When was the last Spinosaurus fossil found?
Found in 1912 in the Bahariya Oasis of the Western Desert of Egypt (could anyplace sound more exotic to a small-town kid from upstate New York?!), Spinosaurus was originally known from a highly incomplete but also very large and extremely distinctive partial skeleton found in a middle Cretaceous-aged (roughly 95- …
How did a Spinosaurus look like?
The study also argued that Spinosaurus had a slender torso, stubby hind limbs, a skull shaped like a fish-eating crocodile’s, and thick-walled bones similar to those in penguins and manatees—features that pointed to some kind of semiaquatic lifestyle.
How many bones do Spinosaurus have?
However, an analysis of the density of 380 bones belonging to a variety of dinosaurs, other extinct creatures, and present-day animals suggests that the iconic Cretaceous dinosaur Spinosaurus and one of its close relatives were capable swimmers.
Who found the first Spinosaurus fossil?
paleontologist Ernst Stromer
Spinosaurus first came to light more than 100 years ago when German paleontologist Ernst Stromer discovered a partial skeleton in Egypt. These Spinosaurus fossils were displayed in a museum in Munich, but Stromer lived in a dangerous time and was an outspoken critic of Hitler’s regime.
When did the Spino live?
about 112 million to 97 million years ago
Spinosaurus was the biggest of all the carnivorous dinosaurs, larger than Tyrannosaurus and Giganotosaurus. It lived during part of the Cretaceous period, about 112 million to 97 million years ago, roaming the swamps of North Africa.
Where can I find a Spinosaurus fossil?
In its special exhibition Spinosaurus, the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin displays the first scientifically accurate and full-size skeleton ever assembled of this gigantic, approximately 100-million-year-old predatory dinosaur from the Cretaceous period.
Where can I find Spinosaurus fossils?
Spinosaurus fossils were found in large numbers at the site of an ancient river bed in Morocco, which flowed through the Sahara Desert 100 million years ago.
Where is the Spinosaurus skeleton?
Where can I see Spinosaurus fossils?
Spinosaurus fossils are primarily found in Morocco and Egypt. In Egypt, they are found in the Bahariya Formation. In Morocco, they are found in the Kem Kem Beds. They lived during the Cenomanian stage of the Late Cretaceous, specifically spanning 97 to 93.5 million years ago.
When was the Spino discovered?
1912
At over 50 feet long, Spinosaurus was one of the largest predatory dinosaurs known- even larger than Tyrannosaurus rex. It was discovered in 1912 during a fossil dig in Egypt led by German paleontologist Ernst Stromer.