Semiaquatic adaptations in a giant predatory dinosaur

Nizar Ibrahim*, Paul C. Sereno, Cristiano Dal Sasso, Simone Maganuco, Matteo Fabbri, David M. Martill, Samir Zouhri, Nathan Myhrvold, Dawid A. Iurino

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle (Academic Journal)peer-review

173 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We describe adaptations for a semiaquatic lifestyle in the dinosaur Spinosaurus aegyptiacus. These adaptations include retraction of the fleshy nostrils to a position near the mid-region of the skull and an elongate neck and trunk that shift the center of body mass anterior to the knee joint. Unlike terrestrial theropods, the pelvic girdle is downsized, the hindlimbs are short, and all of the limb bones are solid without an open medullary cavity, for buoyancy control in water. The short, robust femur with hypertrophied flexor attachment and the low, flat-bottomed pedal claws are consistent with aquatic foot-propelled locomotion. Surface striations and bone microstructure suggest that the dorsal sail may have been enveloped in skin that functioned primarily for display on land and in water.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1613-1616
Number of pages4
JournalScience
Volume345
Issue number6204
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 26 Sept 2014

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