Paleontologists have discovered the remains of a previously unknown species of spinosaurus in the Sahara Desert in Niger, a dinosaur that inhabited coastal environments and possessed a saber-shaped crest on its head. The research was published in the journal Science.
"Spinosaurus mirabilis, discovered in the central Sahara alongside long-necked dinosaurs in a coastal habitat, is distinguished by a saber-shaped bony crest projecting far above the skull roof," the article states.
The discovery was made by American paleontologist Paul Sereno and his colleague Daniel Vidal. Spinosaurus mirabilis (Latin for "remarkable spinosaur") belongs to the same genus as Spinosaurus aegyptiacus, whose remains were previously found in North Africa.
The scientists also identified three stages in the evolution of spinosaurids—a group of predatory dinosaurs adapted for catching fish. According to the new study, at the final stage of evolution, these reptiles reached their maximum size and inhabited what is now Africa and South America. The age of the discovered fossils is approximately 95 million years.
Earlier in February, dinosaur footprints dating back about 132 million years (early Cretaceous period) were found in South Africa's Western Cape Province. These were the second dinosaur footprints discovered in the province. The first were found in deposits of the Robberg Formation, estimated to be around 140 million years old.
