According to the recent study published in the journal “Scientific Reports”, scientists believe that the bones discovered may belong to two species of Spinosaurus, a family of two-legged ones that includes the genus “Spinosaurus” and the meaning of the name “spiny lizard”.
The “Spinosaurus” was a large, carnivorous dinosaur with strong jaws and huge sharp teeth that fed on large fish and dinosaurs.
When it comes to the discoveries of spinosaurs, one must mention the Baryonyx specimen, which was found in a quarry in Surrey, Britain in 1983, which set the scene for paleontologists to characterize this group of predators.
Scientists say that the new discovery supports the theory that spinosaurs first evolved in Europe, and then came the migrations to Africa.
big surprise
The journey of discoveries took place between 2013 and 2017, when researchers unearthed a mysterious collection of more than 50 bones, many from a beach excavation site near the village of Bridgestone, which houses a fossil-rich geological feature called the Wessex Formation, dating back to the early Cretaceous period.
According to the lead author of the new study, paleontologist Chris Parker of the University of Southampton, the newly discovered bone skulls differ “not only from the Baryonyx specimen, but also from each other, suggesting that the UK harbors a greater diversity of spinosaurs than previously thought.” Previously.
Co-author Darren Naish, an expert on British theropod dinosaurs, says the discovery was both predictable and surprising: “We’ve known for two decades now that we’re getting close to discovering Baronyx-like dinosaurs on the Isle of Wight, but the remains of two of these animals at A close sequence is a big surprise.”
Spinosaurs are famous for their large, crocodile-like skulls, and scientists believe that their body physiology helped them hunt prey in both aquatic and terrestrial environments, but as they evolved, they became more aquatic.
naming new dinosaurs
Of the two discovered species, the first was named Ceratosuchops inferodios, which translates to “crocodile-faced heron”, and refers to the likely hunting style of the newly discovered dinosaur, similar in many ways to that of the modern-day “heron”; These large waterfowl feed mainly on aquatic organisms, but they also hunt some terrestrial meals such as rodents.
The second specimen, Riparovenator milnerae, which translates to “Milner’s Hunter on the Riverbank”, is in honor of the late British paleontologist Angela Milner, who was responsible for studying and naming Baryonyx, and has greatly modernized our understanding of these unique predators.
Scientists estimate that both dinosaurs could have been about 9 meters long, and the fossils will be available for public viewing at the Dinosaur Island Museum in Sandown.
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