When we talk about dinosaurs we often return to some of the images from the most famous films about them. However, sometimes cinema portrays these beings in an adventurous way. A recent study from the University of Portsmouth “proves beyond a reasonable doubt” that Spinosaurus, the giant predator made famous by Jurassic Park III, was actually an aquatic river dinosaur.
Until recently, dinosaurs were believed to live exclusively on land. However, recent research by paleobiologists at the University of Portsmouth shows that Spinosaurus aegyptiacus was a creature more commonly found in rivers.
According to the research, the giant creature, 15 meters long and weighing 6 tons, was well adapted to the aquatic lifestyle. Until recently, it was discovered that this dinosaur had a tail, which specialists believe could have helped in its river life.
To study more features about Spinosaurus, specialist scientists collected the fossilized remains from an ancient river bed in Morocco. 1200 samples of teeth found were analyzed and it was finally discovered that a large number of them belonged to Spinosaurus.
Spinosaurus Aegyptiacus: An aquatic river dinosaur
David Martill, who is a professor of paleobiology at the University of Portsmouth, said that, of the dental remains, the presence of Spinosaurus is 45% of the total fossil remains. Furthermore, he noted that there is no other known geographic location where such a mass of dinosaur teeth has been found.
Likewise, he said that the large presence of the dinosaur in the area can only mean one thing and that is that the terrestrial predatory monster from Jurassic Park III was actually a river marine creature.
“From this research, we can confirm this location as the place where this gigantic dinosaur not only lived, but also died. The results are entirely consistent with the idea of a true ‘river monster’ that inhabited the “.
The research, published in the journal Cretaceous Research, argues that the creature was commonly found in the river system known as “Kem Kem,” which crossed the desert 100 million years ago. Now, thanks to this discovery, a door opens to search for more evidence about aquatic dinosaurs and how they developed in these conditions.