Overview
- An international team led by Paul Sereno and Daniel Vidal publishes the description of Spinosaurus mirabilis from Jenguebi, Niger, on the cover of Science.
- The fossils come from river deposits dating to roughly 90–95 million years ago, indicating a wooded, inland ecosystem far from ancient coastlines.
- Proportions of the skull, neck and hind limbs, plus a retracted nose, support wading in about two meters of water rather than deep diving in the sea.
- A large scimitar-shaped crest likely sheathed in keratin functioned in display, while interlocking teeth created a fish-trapping bite specialized for piscivory.
- The authors propose a three-phase spinosaurid history around the Tethys region, placing this species in a late, geographically restricted stage linked to greater extinction risk.