Spinosaurus

• Status: Extinct
• North Africa: Bahariya Formation and Kem Kem Beds, in Egypt, Algeria, Morocco
• Extinct

Numbers

Weight

8 tonfrom 7 to 10 tons

Length

50 ftfrom 46 to 59 ft

Lifespan

109 million years agobetween the Early and Late Cretaceous, 109 to 97 million years ago

Skull length

69 inestimate based on comparison with related genera like Irritator

Dorsal neural spines

65 inmaximum height of the vertebrae supporting the sail or dorsal hump

Teeth in the maxilla

12 per side, excluding premaxillary teeth, which were 6 or 7 per side

Ten fun facts

1. 01

   that the scientific name aegyptiacus refers to Egypt, where the first fossils of this huge predator were discovered.

2. 02

   that the spines on its back vertebrae grew up to sixty-five inches long, giving the dinosaur its name.

3. 03

   that its skull, long and tapered like a crocodile snout, was estimated at nearly sixty-nine inches long.

4. 04

   that twelve conical teeth lined each upper jaw, with six or seven more on the premaxilla, ideal for catching slippery prey.

5. 05

   that its nostrils were small and set far back like a crocodile, helping it breathe while keeping its snout at the water surface.

6. 06

   that unlike other theropods, its bones were dense and solid rather than hollow, similar to those of aquatic mammals.

7. 07

   that a scan in 2009 revealed a cavity in its snout, which may have sensed vibrations in the water.

8. 08

   that in 2014 an international team of researchers presented strong evidence describing Spinosaurus as a semi-aquatic species.

9. 09

   that a spinosaurid tooth was found embedded in pterosaur bones, showing that it was an opportunistic predator.

10. 10

    that in the 2001 movie Jurassic Park III, Spinosaurus defeats Tyrannosaurus, a fight that could never happen in real life.

The quiz answers

The first one is the question printed in your book: here is the answer. The other four are extra.

Try it yourself

Data from Wikidata (Q3966781).