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Discover the Jurassic World: Top 9 Fun and Fascinating Facts About the Spinosaurus!

illustration of spinosaurus
Dive into the fascinating world of the Spinosaurus, where prehistoric adventure awaits and dino-sized surprises lurk around every corner!

1. Surf and Turf Dino Diet

Turns out, Spinosaurus was more of a "surf and turf" kind of dinosaur than you might have expected: These semi-aquatic creatures, including their cousin Baryonyx, had bone densities consistent with underwater hunting, implying they feasted on aquatic prey as well as land-based snacks!
Source => nhm.ac.uk

2. Prehistoric Swim Team Captain

Step aside, Michael Phelps! There's a prehistoric swim team captain that could give you a run (or swim) for your money: Enter Spinosaurus, the dual-threat dinosaur adept at splashing through water with its high-density leg bones and paddle-like tail, while also chomping down on both land and aquatic delicacies, making it the multitasking M.V.P. of the Mesozoic era.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

3. Original Submarine with Scales

Taking a dive into prehistoric pools, the Spinosaurus was the original submarine with scales: This colossal dinosaur had denser bones, allowing it to submerge underwater and stealthily hunt for aquatic prey using a combo of bottom-walking and giant tail swishes to navigate through shallow waters.
Source => cam.ac.uk

4. Sail-Rocking Trendsetter

Talk about rocking a sail: Spinosaurus was the ultimate trendsetter with the most massive sail of any dinosaur, stretching up to six feet tall, firmly secured by strong muscles and dense bone, making quite the statement as it cruised through prehistoric waters.
Source => paulsereno.uchicago.edu

Dino-Olympic Swimmer

5. Dino-Olympic Swimmer

If Spinosaurus ever entered the Olympics for swimming, it could easily give Michael Phelps a run (or swim) for his money: These ancient reptiles possessed paddle-like webbed feet and dense bones akin to those of modern-day aquatic dwellers like manatees, enabling them to proficiently dive and swim after their fishy prey.
Source => kids.nationalgeographic.com

6. Aquatic Athlete of the Cretaceous

Step aside, Michael Phelps: the Spinosaurus was the OG aquatic athlete, dominating the prehistoric pool 95 million years ago! Serious reveal: This dino featured a long tail, slim hips, and paddle-shaped feet for smooth swimming, while dense bones perfect for buoyancy control ensured it wasn't just a big splash in the pan.
Source => phys.org

7. Sherlock Snout: Underwater Detective

Like a dino-version of Sherlock Holmes with a crocodile twist, Spinosaurus used its snout to solve the mysterious case of the underwater snacks: The case was cracked with pressure-sensitive pits on its snout, detecting unsuspecting giant fish in the murky waters for its next meal.
Source => pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com

8. Tidal Dinner Party Host

Whoever said that dinosaurs can't swim obviously never met the Spinosaurus, the Michael Phelps of the Cretaceous period: This aquatic-loving dinosaur boasted high bone density in its legs for buoyancy control, a paddle-shaped tail for zooming around underwater, and a crocodile-like snout perfect for both land and sea dinner parties in its lush mangrove forest and tidal flat neighborhood.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

9. T-Rex vs Spinosaurus: Tyrannosaurus Wrecks

If T-Rex and Spinosaurus ever faced off in a Jurassic World-style cage match, we'd have to rename our prehistoric fan favorites to Tyrannosaurus Wrecks: Spinosaurus is believed to have been the largest carnivorous dinosaur, even out-sizing the iconic T-Rex. Their timelines and locations didn't overlap, but the image of these two giants battling remains a tantalizing thought.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

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