Safekipedia

Spinosaurus

Adapted from Wikipedia · Explorer experience

Scientific illustration of Spinosaurus aegyptiacus, an ancient carnivorous dinosaur.

Spinosaurus

Spinosaurus was a very big dinosaur that lived a long, long time ago in North Africa. It lived during the Late Cretaceous period, about 100 to 94 million years ago. This dinosaur had a special name that means "spine lizard" because of the tall sail on its back.

Spinosaurus was one of the largest dinosaurs ever. Some scientists think it could be as long as a school bus — about 15 meters ( almost 50 feet)! It had a long, narrow nose and sharp teeth, perfect for catching fish in rivers and lakes. The big sail on its back may have helped control its temperature or just made it look very impressive.

This dinosaur liked to spend time near water. Its heavy legs would have helped it float, so it might have been a good swimmer. Spinosaurus lived in a green, wet world full of many interesting animals. The place where it lived had lots of coastal areas, mangroves, and waterways — a perfect home for a fish-loving dinosaur!

Spinosaurus was first discovered in Egypt in 1912 by a German scientist named Ernst Stromer. Even though some of the original fossils were lost, new discoveries have helped scientists learn more about this amazing dinosaur. Today, Spinosaurus is very famous and appears in many movies and books, exciting dinosaur fans all over the world.

Images

Fossilized bone fragments from Spinosaurus, an ancient dinosaur discovered by scientists.
A 1915 scientific illustration of the dinosaur Spinosaurus by Ernst Stromer.
A digital reconstruction of the Spinosaurus dinosaur skeleton, showing known bones and a comparison with a human skeleton for scale.
Map showing the location of the Kem Kem region in Morocco and nearby fossil sites in North Africa.
Scientific illustration of a Spinosaurus fossil, showing details of its skull structure.
Scientific illustration of Spinosaurus fossil fragments from a 1934 publication.
Scientific drawings comparing two dinosaur species, Spinosaurus B and Sigilmassasaurus, showcasing their fossil remains from different angles.
Scientific illustrations showing different views of the Oxalaia quilombensis dinosaur skull, highlighting its anatomical features.
Scientific comparison of Spinosaurus snout fossils from Northwestern Africa.
Scientific illustration showing the muscle structure of a Spinosaurus skull.
A museum display of a Spinosaurus skeleton at the National Geographic Museum, showing scientists' reconstruction of this famous dinosaur.
Artist's illustration comparing four different species of spinosaurid dinosaurs: Suchomimus, Spinosaurus, Irritator, and Baryonyx.
A scientific artist's reconstruction of the dinosaur Baryonyx walkeri, showing how it may have looked in prehistoric times.

Related articles

Dinosaur
North Africa
Late Cretaceous
Ernst Stromer

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Spinosaurus, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Images from Wikimedia Commons. Tap any image to view credits and license.