Scimitar-crested Spinosaurus species from the Sahara caps stepwise spinosaurid radiation - PubMed
2 days ago
- #Spinosaurus
- #Evolution
- #Paleontology
- Discovery of Spinosaurus mirabilis, a close relative of Spinosaurus aegyptiacus, in the central Sahara.
- Spinosaurus mirabilis distinguished by a scimitar-shaped bony crest above its skull roof.
- Three evolutionary phases identified in spinosaurid evolution: initial Jurassic phase with fish-snaring skulls, Early Cretaceous dominance in circum-Tethyan habitats, and Late Cretaceous specialization in northern Africa and South America.
- Final phase marked by spinosaurines reaching maximum body size as shallow water ambush specialists.