Spinosaurus mirabilis new species discovered by professor and team in Niger
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Paleontologists have announced the discovery of a new species of Spinosaurus, a meat-eating dinosaur that may have rivaled T. rex in size.
The new species, called Spinosaurus mirabilis, lived between 95 and 100 million years ago. The fossil remains were found in the Sahara Desert, in a remote region of the country of Niger called Jenguebi.
This discovery, recently detailed in the journal Science, was years in the making; researchers found jaw fragments in 2019 and two additional crests in 2022.
Spinosaurus mirabilis was a shallow-water predator that preyed on fish, although its habitat was 600 miles inland from the ancient Tethys Sea.
Researchers believe the dinosaur’s crown, a large bony protrusion rising from the top of the dinosaur’s skull, was brightly colored and covered in keratin.
Fossil remains of the newly discovered species Spinosaurus mirabilis, shown at left, were found in a remote area of the Sahara Desert in Niger. At right, an artist’s rendering of the creature. (SWNS)
The leader of the study, Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. Professor Paul Sereno described Spinosaurus mirabilis as a type of “hell heron”.
The professor said the dinosaur “had no trouble wading through two meters of water on its sturdy legs, but probably spent most of its time stalking shallower traps for many of the larger fish of the day,” the SWNS news agency reported.
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Sereno was pointed to the site by a monograph by a French geologist describing a fossilized tooth that resembled the tooth of a similar predator.
With the help of a local, he was taken to the fossil site with the rest of his team; Teeth and jaw bones were found here.
“It was really emotional for our team.”
“No one had gone back to that dental area in over 70 years,” Sereno said.
“It was an adventure and a half to search for this site and then wander the seas of sand to find a more distant fossil site where new species were found.”
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Sereno described the discovery as “very sudden and surprising.”
“It was really emotional for our team,” he said.
in biological sciences from the University of Chicago. Professor Paul Sereno described the newly discovered dinosaur as a type of “hell heron”. (SWNS)
“I will forever remember the moment at camp when we gathered around a laptop to get our first look at the new species after a member of our team produced 3D digital models of the bones we found in the middle of the Sahara to assemble the skull with solar energy.”
“That’s when the significance of the discovery truly became apparent.”
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The fossil remains will be exhibited at the River Museum in Niamey, Niger.
In the meantime, a copy will be on display at the Chicago Children’s Museum.
The fossil site had not been revisited for more than 70 years until Sereno’s team returned. (SWNS)
“Expressing children with the excitement of new discoveries is key to ensuring that future generations of scientists discover even more about our precious planet that is worth preserving,” Sereno said of the children’s exhibit.
This discovery follows other dinosaur-related discoveries over the past few months.
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In November, Australian researchers announced that they had uncovered this fact. traces of a dinosaur It may have been limping around in Colorado 150 million years ago.
Scientists have revealed something in early 2025. new dinosaur – and its ancient ruins – at a tourist spot in Argentina.
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