New Spinosaurus Fossils in Sahara Indicate Wading Behavior

Paleontologists have discovered fossils of a new spinosaur species in a remote corner of the Sahara Desert in northern Niger, providing fresh evidence that these ancient predators were waders rather than deep-water divers. The find, announced in a study published Thursday in the journal Science, centers on Spinosaurus mirabilis, a massive carnivore that lived about 95 million years ago and measured 10 to 14 meters in length.

The expedition, led by Paul Sereno of the University of Chicago, began with a brief exploratory visit in 2019 to the site known as Jenguebi, prompted by a 1950s scientific monograph that mentioned a dinosaur tooth from the area. A local guide led the team to scattered black fossils in the sand, which initial analysis identified as jaw fragments from a carnivorous dinosaur. Delays from the COVID-19 pandemic postponed a return until 2022, when researchers endured a grueling three-day off-road journey from the city of Agadez through sand dunes and barren terrain. The site, dubbed the Spinosaur Archipelago for its rock outcrops amid vast dunes, lies hundreds of kilometers from any permanent settlements or roads, in a region locals call Sirig Taghat, meaning no...