• A giant blade-crested spinosaurus, the â hell heron,â discovered in the Sahara A blade-crested â hell heronâ dinosaur unearthed in the Sahara is rewriting the final chapter of spinosaur evolution. • A newly published study inScienceannounces the discovery ofSpinosaurus mirabilis, a previously unknown species of spinosaurid dinosaur uncovered in Niger. • The fossils were excavated in a remote region of the central Sahara by a 20 member research team led by Paul Sereno, PhD, Professor of Organismal Biology and Anatomy at the University of Chicago. • The find adds significant new evidence to the final phase of spinosaurid evolution. • One of the most remarkable features ofS. • mirabilisis its enormous, scimitar shaped crest.

Article Summaries:

  • A team from the University of Chicago led by paleontologist Paul Sereno uncovered a new species of spinosaurid dinosaur, Spinosaurus mirabilis, in inland river deposits in Niger. The fossil, nicknamed the “hell heron,” features a massive, scimitar‑shaped crest likely covered in brightly coloured keratin and tightly interlocking teeth adapted for catching slippery prey. The find, 500-1,000 km from the nearest ancient shoreline, challenges the prevailing view that spinosaurids were fully aquatic hunters and instead suggests they were powerful waders that hunted fish in forested inland waterways. The discovery, published in Science, marks a significant revision of the final phase of spinosaur evolution.
  • A giant blade-crested spinosaurus, the âhell heron,â discovered in the Sahara A blade-crested âhell heronâ dinosaur unearthed in the Sahara is rewriting the final chapter of spinosaur evolution. - Date: - February 23, 2026 - Source: - University of Chicago Medical Center - Summary: - Deep in the heart of the Sahara, scientists have uncovered Spinosaurus mirabilis â a spectacular new predator crowned with a massive, scimitar-shaped crest that may once have blazed with color under the desert sun. Discovered in remote inland river deposits in Niger, the fossil rewrites what we thought we knew abo

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