Spinosaurus aegyptiacus:A Paleobiological analysis
Taxonomy of Spinosaurus aegyptiacus
Spinosaurus aegyptiacus
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Sauropsida
Superorder: Dinosauria
Order:Saurischia
Suborder:Theropoda
Family:Spinosauridae
Subfamily:Spinosaurinae
Genus:Spinosaurus
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Period: Cretaceous
Ages:Albian to early Cenomanian
Time Span:100 to 97 MYA
Discoverer:Ernst Stromer
Place of discovery: Bahariya valley,Egypt
year of discovery:1915
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Anatomy
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Length:Up to 18m(59ft)
Height:Up to 6 meters
Weight:up to 9 metric tons(9.9 short tons)
Diet:carnivorous
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Spinosaurus aegyptiacus is speculated by paleontologists to be the largest terrestrial predator to have ever lived. Although some paleontologists disagree as to the true size of the animal, proponents of it being the largest terrestrial predator estimate it could have reached sixty ft long. If one looks at the skull of Spinosaurus, you will see how similar it is to the skulls of Crocodilians. The estimated skull length of Spinosaurus is estimated to be 4 feet, up to six ft. It did not have stereoscopic vision.
Like Crocodilian skulls, the skull of Spinosaurus is long and narrow. It's teeth conical shaped and show only fine serrations, like spear points. These teeth were designed for eating fish. A look at the fenestrae can tell us about the animal's bite force. Fenestrae are the openings in the skull where the jaw muscles would attach. The fenestrae of S.aegyptiacus are much smaller then those found in other examples of Theropoda. Compared to the fenestrae of T.rex and G.carolinii,Spinosaurus had a comparatively weak bite force. The most interesting feature of Spinosaurus was the large sail on it's back. Paleontologists are split on what the use of the sail could have been, or if the animal even had a sail at all. Paleontologist Jack Bowman Bailey of Illinois state university noted the similarities of the back spines of S.aegyptiacus and the vertebrae of Bison bison,(the American Buffalo). Bailey proposed that Spinosaurus may have had a hump on it's back, used to store fat and other nutrients,analogous to that of B.bison. Some uses for a sail include, mating display, body temperature regulation, and intimidation. Spinosaurus had large powerful arms, compared to other species of Theropoda. They were Allosaurid in shape and were five feet long. Like it's close relative Baryonyx walkeri, S.aegyptiacus probably had a long claw on it's thumb to help catch fish. Unlike the arms of T.rex, the arms of S.aegyptiacus probably played a much more important role in hunting and daily life. While probably longer then T.rex and G.carolinii, Spinosaurus was more slightly built with a shallower ribcage.
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Predatory Behavior
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Most paleontologists subscribe to the view that Spinosaurus was primarily piscivorous, meaning it fed mostly on fish. Although it probably fed on carrion and smaller dinosaurs when it could. It has been put forward by paleontologists that Spinosaurus may have been the Cretaceous equivalent of a generalized predator biased toward fishing like a North American Brown bear.A possible Spinosaurus tooth found in Pterasaur vertebrae supports this view. Spinosaurus had nostrils that faced upwards. A very useful adaptation for swimming and hunting fish , much like the nostrils in Crocodilians. No evidence has been found of pack hunting or any group feeding by S.aegyptiacus. The fossil record is simply too incomplete to know for sure how the animal hunted.
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Social Behavior
There is virtually nothing known about the social behavior of Spinosaurus. There is not enough evidence in the fossil record to tell how the animal interacted socially, whether it moved in groups, or raised it's young.
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Conclusion
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Spinosaurus has long captivated Paleontologists and amateur Paleontological enthusiasts. Even with new discoveries, the animal is still virtually unknown. No complete skeletons currently exist, and no nest sites or group fossils have been found. Perhaps that is why we are captivated by Spinosaurus. Possibly the largest carnivore to ever walk this earth.
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Sources
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Dinosaurs: The Textbook by Spencer G. Lucas
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal...l/430033a.html
http://www.geocities.com/logosaurus/...annosaurus.htm
http://www.dinodata.org/index.php?op...7422&Itemid=67
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Originally Posted by cupoftea
is it cause I'm Greek? 
