Concept in Definition ABC

The term spinosaurus literally means "dinosaur with spines." This designation was chosen because the first dinosaur discovered of this family (Spinosaurus) had a crest full of large spines on its back.

Main features

All spinosaurs were carnivores, and their long, sharp snout closely resembled that of crocodiles; also presenting a powerful teeth with teeth conical and pointed like those of dolphins.

These saurians fed on other animals, becoming expert fishermen who used their powerful claws as a harpoon edge with which they attacked fish.

The main species

- Irritator Challengeri: it had a wingspan of between 7 and 8 meters and lived 110 million years ago. It was given this name thanks to its discoverer, the teacher Challenger. The other part of the name arose when the researchers were irritated to realize that the fossil what did they buy from this species it had been reassembled and pasted with other fossils.

- Spinosaurus: this species is characterized by its long and highly developed bones, reaching more than one meter in the case of its neural spine. It reached 5 meters in length and lived in a

ecosystem of lush vegetation 100 million years ago.

- Siamosaurus: it adopts the name of "the lizard of Siam". It was discovered in what is now Thailand at sites from the Cretaceous era. Little is known of this species but it is known that they shared conical teeth and had a large likeness to the Spinosaurus

- Cristatusaurus: the members of this species were the largest in the family and reached 10 meters long. Its fossils were found in West Africa and are known to have lived about 110 million years ago. Its name is a matter of controversy due to its multiple similarities with other species.

A two-stage extinction

The scientific community agrees when it is stipulated that the main cause of the extinction of the dinosaurs was the collision of a meteorite with the earth. This caused, among other effects, a large ash cloud that did not allow sunlight to enter, which caused a drastic drop in temperatures. These climatic changes triggered the gradual extinction of the great saurians.

This particular family of dinosaurs was discovered at the beginning of the 20th century and the fossils found were destroyed by the effects of the wars in Europe, almost completely eliminating any fossil remains of this family.

Fotolia photos: Marie / Freer

Themes in Spinosaurus