Fossil Discovery Confirms Spinosaurus as Aquatic Predator in Ancient Morocco

"The large number of teeth we have collected from the prehistoric river... reveals that the Spinosaurus was there in large numbers, representing 45% of the total dental remains [more than 1,200]," said British paleontologist David Martill of the University of Portsmouth. After this discovery, this researcher and his colleagues conducted research on the lifestyle of this largest carnivorous dinosaur that crossed the Sahara 100 million years ago.

"Our research confirms that this place (the river) is where this gigantic dinosaur lived, but also where it died. Our results are fully consistent with the idea that it was a true aquatic monster," the researchers say. According to them, the animal was not a terrestrial predator, but rather an aquatic predator.

Mr. Martill argues that the abundance of Spinosaurus teeth in the Kem Kem river bed compared to other dinosaurs reflects their aquatic lifestyle. His colleague Thomas Beevor adds: "With such an abundance of Spinosaurus teeth, it is very likely that this animal lived mainly in the river rather than on its banks."

The German paleontologist Ernst Stromer had first discovered the Spinosaurus in Egypt between 1910 and 1914.