How It Works-Book Of Dinosaurs

Head

Crocodile-like skull with

small, high nostrils – ideal

for breathing with a

partially submerged snout

Sail

Anchored by a series of

spines extending from the

dorsal vertebrae; possibly

used for display or

temperature regulation

Jaw

Long, slender and spoon-

shaped, and fi lled with sharp

conical teeth – perfect

adaptations for gripping

slippery prey like fi sh

Arms

Strong, muscular and

equipped with a fearsome

set of 12.7cm (5in) claws for

grabbing and slashing

Feet

Wide and fl at

feet and

claws, well

suited to

paddling

Snout

Pressure-sensitive

receptors could

detect the motions

of aquatic prey

BELOW Although

Spinosaurus mainly

hunted for fi sh, it was fully

capable of defending itself

The largest carnivorous dinosaur ever to stalk the

Earth, Spinosaurus is thought to have been as

long as one and a half double-decker London

buses – 16 metres (52.5 feet) – and as heav y as a

herd of Asian elephants (20 tonnes). Its vertebrae

were 20 per cent larger than those of T-rex and to

top it off, it sported a gigantic sail of skin

supported by two-metre (6.6-foot)-long spines

protruding from its back.

Despite its imposing physique, recent

ev idence suggests Spinosaurus spent more of its

time terrorising the water than it did the land,

and would only supplement its fi shy diet with

scavenged carrion. Its crocodile-like jaw had

smooth, conical, pointed teeth, well adapted to

spearing slippery prey like Onchopristis – eight-

metre (26-foot)-long prehistoric sawfi sh – rather

than ripping fl esh from bone. Special structures

in its snout helped it detect pressure waves

caused by prey moving in the water.

Nevertheless, Spinosaurus was fast, strong

and possessed a cruel set of claws, meaning it

could likely hold its own against other massive

predators, like Carcharodontosaurus, who

shared its territor y. Despite what you might

think, they never came up against the T-rex.

Spinosaurus

Height: 4.5m (14.8ft)

Length: 16m (52.5ft)

DID YOU KNOW? (^) We can identify the colours of feather-covered dinosaurs thanks to fossilised melanosome structures
Killer stats
The largest carnivorous dinosaur in history and once
thought to have been an aggressive land-killer, recent
evidence reveals it was more of a threat to
water-dwellers in late-Cretaceous North Africa 95-70
million years ago.
Spinosaurus
Size: 10/10
Arsenal & Adaptations: 6/10
Intellect: 6/10
Killer Rating: 7/10