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Spinosaurus Facts
Here are some facts about Spinosaurus:
- Spinosaurus was a genus of
dinosaur
(for more information see Spinosaurus Classification).
- Two species of Spinosaurus are currently known:
Spinosaurus aegyptiacus and
Spinosaurus marocannus
(for more information see Spinosaurus Classification).
Although scientists have suggested that Spinosaurus marocannus
may not be a different species at all.
- Spinosaurus was a carnivore (ate meat). There is some speculation
that its diet may have also included fish, particularly since it is known
that its close relative
Baryonyx
ate fish.
Note: (Baryonyx is in the same family (Spinosauridae) as Spinosaurus, but is a differnet genus - for more information about classification see Spinosaurus Classification).
- Spinosaurus lived in the late
Cretaceous period, between approximately 112 million
and 97 million years ago.
- Spinosaurus lived in what is today North Africa, probably on tidal flats near the seashore.
The first fossils that were found, came from
Egypt.
- Spinosaurus may have been the largest land predator ever. A fully grown
adult could have
been as long as 41 and 59 feet (12.6 to 18 meters), and weighed somewhere between 8 and 23 tons.
- The most noteable feature of Spinosaurus is the large "fin"
(sometimes called "sail") on its back. It may have used this
fin to help control
its temperature - facing the fin towards or away from the sun, depending on
whether it wanted to heat itself up or cool down. Another theory is that
the fin could have been used for display - for example, as a means of attracting
mates.
- Spinosaurus had relatively large arms compared to many other
predatory dinosaurs
(many of which, such as
Tyrannosaurus rex
had relatively puny arms). It is thus possible that Spinosaurus may have
been able to walk on four legs, as well as on two legs.
- The first Spinosaurus specimen was
described by Ernest Stromer in
Egypt in
1912.
He went on to describe the animal
1915.
Unfortunately, this specimen was destroyed during World War II, although
drawings and other information about it still exist.
Ernst Stromer: 
- The name "Spinosaurus" means "spine lizard".
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