Spinosaurus

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Spinosaurus
Fossil range: mid Cretaceous

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Sauropsida
Superorder: Dinosauria
Order: Saurischia
Suborder: Theropoda
Superfamily: Megalosauroidea
Family: Spinosauridae
Genus: Spinosaurus
Ernst Stromer, 1915
Species
  • S. aegyptiacus (type)
  • ?S. marocannus

Spinosaurus (which means "spine lizard") was a huge meat eating dinosaur. It grew up to 15 meters long. It had a two meters long sail on its back like Dimetrodon. Several uses have been suggested for this sail, such as to help control its body temperature, as a way to attract a mate, and to intimidate or frighten enemies. It lived in the Sahara Desert 95 million years ago.

Its bones were first discovered in Egypt in 1912 and named by German paleontologist Ernst Stromer in 1915. Two species, S. aegyptiacus and S. marocannus, are recognized by many paleontologists, although many say there is only one. It was featured in the film Jurassic Park III.