Jakarta – Spinosaurus is dinosaur largest known predator. Its body was longer than Tyrannosaurus rex.
Even so, Spinosaurus was able to dive underwater to hunt. This has long been the subject of debate by experts.
In a journal published in Nature, as quoted by Science Daily, a group of palaeontologists took a different approach to analyze this. They examined the level of Spinosaurus bone density.
Experts then compared it to animals such as rhinos, crocodiles and penguins. Apparently, Spinosaurus had similarities with their cousin, Baryonyx from the Cretacous group, in terms of bone density.
Why Spinosaurus Can Dive in Water Despite Its Big Weight?
Experts already know that dinosaur it has a certain affinity for water. They have elongated jaws with conical teeth that look like fish-eating predators.
In the last decade, University of Portsmouth palaeontologist Nizar Ibrahim uncovered another part of the Spinosaurus skeleton in the Sahara Desert. The skeleton or skeleton found by Ibrahim and his team showed the dinosaur’s wide nostrils, short hind legs, paddle-like legs, and a tail like flippers. This series of characteristics clearly shows the aquatic lifestyle.
Previously, Ibrahim also suggested that Spinosaurus could swim and hunt actively in the water. On the other hand, less convinced experts claim that this type of dinosaur did not actually swim and simply behaved like a giant swan.
What’s more, in the animal kingdom bone density can indicate whether an animal can dive below the surface of the water and swim.
These scientists then found a clear relationship between bone density and lifestyle foraging in the water. Animals that dive into the water to hunt have bones that are almost entirely solid, while land animals have a bone cross section that tends to be like a donut with a hollow center.
When researchers matched Spinosaurus with the concept, it was found that dinosaur that and Baryonyx both have a solid bone type suitable for a full dive into the water.
“Bones don’t lie and now we know that the internal skeleton of the bones (Spinosaurus) is fully in line with our suspicions that this animal was a giant predator that hunted fish in wide rivers, using its oar-like tail to move,” Ibrahim said.
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