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The Great Spinosaurus Controversy
Ah, when paleontologists get into arguments. Turns out there’s been a massive controversy over the last few years, about one specific critter.
The dinosaur concerned is Spinosaurus Aegyptiacus (Egyptian spinosaurus).
And the huge argument is over how it lived and what it ate.
What is Spinosaurus?
Spinosaurus is an unusual dinosaur primarily known, as its name suggests, from fossil banks in Egypt. We’ve known about it since 1915, but we didn’t really get a complete enough skeleton to know what to make of it until very recently.
Spinosaurus is a bipedal dinosaur with a tall sail along its back. The sail continues down the dinosaur’s tail. It has stubby back legs, shorter than those of most bipedal dinosaurs.
Why the Controversy?
One thing is clear based off of spinosaurus’ build and bone density: This was a water-loving beastie. Just how aquatic spinosaurus was is part of the argument, but it’s pretty clear it spent much time in and around water. Oh, and it also had a very powerful tail. Its teeth were well-suited to catching and eating fish.