The discovery of more than a thousand fossil teeth in prehistoric river beds is eating away at our current definition of dinosaurs.
Today, paleontologists generally consider this extinct group of reptiles to be simply land-based, but an enormous species will simply not survive.
Species, Spinosaurus aegyptiacus, With its huge fin-like tail, has been causing waves in recent years, and some scientists are convinced that this dinosaur was a swimmer – the first known example among dinosaurs.
Now, the hundreds of teeth of this animal, about half the enormous currents seen in Morocco, have reassured the group more than ever.
Spinosaurus teeth. (Beaver et al., Cretaceous Research, 2020)
“With this research we are able to confirm this location, as this giant dinosaur not only lived, but also died,” said David Martil, a paleobiologist at the University of Portsmouth.
“The results are really consistent with the idea of a water-dwelling ‘river monster’.”
The large tooth environment is that of both dinosaurs and some aquatic animals. Counting more than 1,200 fossils, researchers found less than half Spinosaurus.
Teen argues that the sheer volume of spinosaur teeth – compared to other dinosaurs – is a reflection of their aquatic lifestyle in the river belt, the team argues.
New artistic reconstruction Spinosaurus Description. (Gustavo Monroe-Besaril)
“An animal that lives its life in water contributes more teeth to a river than a dinosaur that probably visited the river just to drink and feed on the shore,” he writes.
In 2014, paleontologist Nizar Ibrahim first made a case for semi-aquatic Spinosaurus. Others who examined the fossils disagreed, arguing that the dinosaur is a topsy-turvy floater, filled with water by the appetite of fish. His skeleton, they said, was uncertain.
Then, earlier this year, Ibrahim and his companions found a fossil Spinosaurus Tail – What some scientists call a ‘game-changer’.
This discovery added more weight to the idea of this giant hunter (famous for his cameo) Jurassic Park) Spent at least some time swimming in the water (as it was in the movie). All this, the team first revealed its tail “unequivocal evidence for aquatic propulsive structures in dinosaurs”.
The new discovery in Morocco is also erasing further suspicions. Ibrahim and his colleagues are now arguing that Spinsor was not only semi-aquatic, but “mostly aquatic” and spent “most of his life” in water, where his teeth are presumed to have the same rate as modern crocodiles.
While many others Spinosaurus The remains have been obtained on a commercial basis, with unknown origins, these teeth come from the prehistoric Kem River system, which at one time flowed all the way from Morocco to Algeria.
The ancient waterway, now long gone, is home to curious creatures like fries, crocodiles, flying reptiles and dinosaurs on its shores.
During work on the reconnaissance field in southeastern Morocco, scientists discovered a bed of bone sand, which was completely covered with Cretaceous fossils.
A kilometer away, the team met several miners in action, and they bought all the remains found by workers on the banks of the ancient river.
Spinosaur teeth have special features that make them easy to identify, allowing researchers to focus on them; The team found hundreds of pieces of this Spinosaurus – More than any other dinosaur, or fish in that matter.
The authors acknowledge that teeth can be assembled from here Spinosaurus Wading King by the river, snatching its prey from the safety of the shore. But while the long neck of a reptile may fit that principle, its hind limbs are nothing like modern wedding birds, which are closely related to dinosaurs.
In fact, the authors say that Spinosaur’s short stature is consistent with only one form of avian locomotion: active swimming.
And then there’s just the sheer number of teeth. Other dinosaurs were also known to bite and marry on the banks of this river, so why Spinosaurus Remains everywhere?
“With such an abundance Spinosaurus Teeth, it is likely that the animal lived inside the river instead of flowing along its banks, “argued Thomas Beaver, a paleontologist at the University of Portsmouth.
The study was published in Cretaceous Research.
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