These School Bus-Sized Dinosaurs Once Roamed The Sahara Desert
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Archeologists at the University of Chicago have discovered the remains of several bus-sized dinosaurs in the Sahara Desert of Niger. The specimens are the first new Spinosaurus species to be identified in over 100 years. These massive dinosaurs lived in what is now North Africa during the Late Cretaceous period. This was roughly 100 to 90 million years ago.
Dinosaur expert Paul Sereno was inspired to explore the remote area after reading a note written by a French geologist in the mid‑20th century. The note mentioned a dinosaur tooth found in the region. There were no photographs or other evidence. Still, Sereno and his team still decided to investigate the area in 2022. They were not disappointed.
The team unearthed extensive fossil remains, including bones from the new Spinosaurus species. They named it S. mirabilis. It means "amazing" in Latin. The fossils of S. mirabilis came from several individuals. They included parts of the jawbones, teeth, and a long, low snout. The scientists also found vertebrae from the neck, back, and tail. There were also fragments of limb bones, such as the femur and toes.
But what set S. mirabilis apart from other Spinosaurus species was a blade-shaped crest. It jutted 20 inches (50.8 cm) from its head. This dramatic feature may have helped the dinosaurs recognize friends — or rivals — from a distance.
Most of the S. mirabilis fossils found belonged to juveniles. Based on the skull fossils, the researchers believe these young predators measured about 26 feet (8 m) long. This is about as long as a typical school bus. However, their full adult size remains a mystery.
Previous Spinosaurus species had been found in areas near the ocean. This suggests they were strong swimmers. However, the S. mirabilis was found hundreds of miles from the ocean. Its bird-like skeleton also suggests it was not a strong swimmer. Sereno speculates that this predator may have lived along rivers and used its long, low snout to catch fish in shallow water.
The researchers published their findings in the journal Science on February 19, 2026. The original fossils have been returned to Niger. However, replicas of the skull and its blade-shaped crest are on display at the Chicago Children’s Museum. Sereno hopes they will spark children’s curiosity about prehistoric life.
Resources: Phys.org, wttw.com, biologicalsciences.uchicago.edu
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83 Comments
hi24281234about 2 monthsThis is cool but scary if it were a live like.
ggwguyabout 2 monthsI am still contemplating on this because the Spinosaurus was an aquatic dinosaur so why would the Spinosaurus start adapting to the hot tempetures of the Sahara desert- gokoremy-176304158089about 2 monthsmillions of years ago there would have been water
ionfwthemm12about 2 monthsThe spinosaurus is a semi-aquatic dinosaur. It adapts to hot, humid mangrove forests in Africa roughly 112–93 million years ago. that lived in the hot, humid mangrove forests of North Africa, roughly 112–93 million years ago. While specialized for hunting fish in water—possessing dense bones for buoyancy control—there is ongoing debate over whether it was a fully submerged pursuit predator or a shallow-water wader.
rufojysuromaabout 2 monthslegit nerd
kidabugyliviabout 2 monthsI can't believe they found a spino in the dessert- yumatensai67about 2 monthsI didn't know that the dinasour is that big
- ggwguyabout 2 monthsyeah the spinosaurus was the biggest land carnivore of the time making in the apex predator of all dinosaurs
toshrankuabout 2 monthsactually it was the t rex
clevergirl1993about 1 monthit was spinosaurus..
pojinewubysoabout 2 monthsthis is petty cool that they found this in sahara desert.
kotefovakicyabout 2 monthsthis is really cool and educational
doctorabout 2 monthsThey want to bring these things back to life btw.
kyeolabout 2 monthsbro its insane and cool too- nipudevuzeduabout 2 monthsmy faviorite dinosaur is the spinosauras.
pikabopikipoabout 2 monthsI really like dinosaurs and this story helped me learn more about my favorite animal.
