Spinosaurus

## Physiology

### Description

Large theropod with long crocodile-like snout, long arms, and a large sail on it's back

### Attributes

Large size; crocodile-like snout; large arms; large sail on its back; semi-aquatic lifestyle

## Biography

### Locations

Africa

***Spinosaurus*** (name meaning "*Spine Lizard*") is a genus of large spinosaurid dinosaur that originated during the Middle Cretaceous period in what is now North Africa. Among the largest theropod dinosaurs in history, measuring 14 meters in length and weighing 7 tons, *Spinosaurus* is also one of the world's most famous dinosaurs, recognizable for its long arms, crocodilian-like head, and the large distinctive sail on its back, similar to *Dimetrodon*.

In the Series 2 episode "***Battle for Dominance**,*" a single adult male Spinosaurus, three female Spinosaurus and their offspring were rescued and brought to the park from Mid Cretaceous Africa, 95 million years ago.

## Facts

### Era & Discovery

*Spinosaurus* lived during the Middle Cretaceous period in North Africa from 112 to 93 million years ago and was the dominant predator of its time, competed only by *Carcharodontosaurus*. Discovered by famous German paleontologist Ernst Stromer in 1912, it was originally depicted with a skull resembling that of a Megalosaurid. During WWII, the type specimen was lost during an allied bombing raid, since the museum it was housed in was across the street from the Nazi headquarters.

The old depictions made it look like a Megalosaur with a sail on its back, but then in 1986, the well-known dinosaur *Baryonyx* was discovered and that changed the look of *Spinosaurus* forever, giving it the new view to more of a bipedal crocodile with massive, muscular arms and a sail on its back. It has gotten a posture allowing it to be both bipedal and quadrepedal. Since its discovery, *Spinosaurus* has become one of the most famous prehistoric creatures in the world.

Recently in 2014, it found out that Spinosaurus can walk on all fours, but some say it's possible it was simullar dinosaur, Sigilmassasaurus.

### Physical Attributes

*Spinosaurus* was a lightly-built, yet very large bipedal theropod dinosaur, standing at around 17 feet (5.3 m) tall, measuring in at 45 feet (13.9 m) long, and weighing 7 (15,000 lb), approximately twice the height and length of a pickup truck, making it one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs that ever existed, coming in at around third compared to *Giganotosaurus*, the second largest carnivorous dinosaur, and *Tyrannosaurus*, the largest carnivorous dinosaur. *Spinosaurus* had long jaws that measured up to 5.5 feet (1.7 m) long, filled with conical teeth that were specialized to snatch fish from the water. The conical shape spread the stress forces of struggling prey moving frantically in their jaws, in a more even manner, similar to a crocodile.

Besides possessing a long, narrow, crocodile-like snout filled with conical, non-serrated teeth, *Spinosaurus* is famous for the six-foot-tall neural spines that ran along its back, which were connected by skin to form a sail-like structure, for which *Spinosaurus* is most recognized for. It functioned similarly to the sails of *Dimetrodon* and *Edaphosaurus*, and helped *Spinosaurus* with regulating its body temperature. Due to its massive size, *Spinosaurus* can easily overheat in hot temperatures and lose heat in cold temperatures, but with the help of its sail, *Spinosaurus* can quickly regain heat via turning towards the morning sun or lose heat via turning against the direction of the wind.

It also had long arms, measuring up to 7 feet (2.1 m) in length, which it used to hold onto large fish and dinosaurs or to walk on all fours, which it occasionally did, if needed. It had a long flexible tail, like a crocodile, used to propel it through the water, and a long neck, measuring up to 7.5 feet (2.3 m) long, used for mobility when catching fish.

### Behavior & Traits

*Spinosaurus* was discovered to be a solitary animal, only getting together with other members of its species during mating season. It competed for food with its rival, *Carcharodontosaurus*. This massive carnivore preyed on fish, dinosaurs, and pterosaurs alike. Its crocodile-like skull may had contain sensory organs, which helped it sense for incoming fish in the water. This notion is supported by the many holes covering the creature's snout.

In its natural habitat, *Spinosaurus* was a territorial, volatile, and aggressive creature that would chase after any potential prey it caught in its territory, and it would return once it knew that there was good prey in the area. In both hunts and combat, *Spinosaurus* would rely on its jaws as a weapon for crushing its victims to death and eating its prey and opponents. *Spinosaurus* lived mainly in the mangroves and floodplains of Africa hunting fish, but it would hunt large terrestrial animals if needed. Strangely for a semiaquatic animal, it lived in areas which are now part of the Sahara Desert.

## Trivia

* *Spinosaurus* is the third largest predatory dinosaur brought to the park.
* The sound effects for *Spinosaurus* are that of bear, crocodile, tiger, and walrus as well as some of the classic stock dinosaur sound effects.