Spinosaurus

Spinosaurus
Name meaning	Spiny Lizard
Code name	Spino
Diet	Carnivore (Mostly Fish Eater)
Height	17-24 feet
Length	15-17 meters (50-56 feet)
Weight	7-12 tons
Location	North Africa (Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Niger)
Range	Isla Sorna
Birth type	Egg
Movie appearances	Jurassic Park III

Spinosaurus Roar From Jurassic Park

Spinosaurus roar

"It's a superpredator."

—Billy Brennan^(src)

Spinosaurus ("spined lizard") is a theropod dinosaur that existed in what is now North Africa, from the Albian to early Cenomanian stages of the Cretaceous Period, about 112 to 97 million years ago. According to recent estimates, Spinosaurus is the largest of all known carnivorous dinosaurs, even larger than Tyrannosaurus and Giganotosaurus. These estimates suggest that it was around 16 to 18 meters in length (52 to 60 feet) and up to 12 tons in weight, although these figures have not yet been universally accepted. This genus was first known from a set of Egyptian remains discovered in 1912 and described in 1915 by German paleontologist and aristocrat Ernst Stromer. These original remains were sadly destroyed in an Allied bombing run over Berlin during World War II, but additional skull material has come to light in recent years. It is unclear whether one or two species are represented in the described fossils. The best known species is Spinosaurus aegyptiacus from Egypt, although a potential second species named Spinosaurus maroccanus has been discovered in Morocco in recent times.

In the film Jurassic Park III, it serves as the main antagonist. The distinctive "spines" on the animal's back, which were long extensions of the vertebrae, grew up to 2 meters long and were likely to have had skin connecting them, forming a sail-like structure, although some have suggested that they were covered in muscle and formed a hump or ridge. Multiple functions have been put forward for this structure, including thermoregulation and display. Dr. Grant also mentions in the movie how the Spinosaurus was not on InGen's list of dinosaurs, meaning that it was a top secret experiment that was hidden from the public.

Description and Statistics

Although Spinosaurus is well-known to dinosaur enthusiasts due to its sail and elongated skull, it is mostly known from remains that have been destroyed, aside from a few more recently discovered teeth and skull elements. Additionally, so far only the skull and backbone have been described in detail, and limb bones have not yet been recovered. Some speculation occurs in arguments among scientists and paleontologists that the Spinosaurus aegyptiacus may have walked on all four limbs, but most are not convinced. It is clearly bipedal.

Full view of the JPIII Spinosaurus

Jaw and skull material published in 2005 show that it had one of the longest skulls of any carnivorous dinosaur, said to be 1.75 meters (5.75 ft) long. The skull had a narrow snout filled with straight conical teeth that lacked serrations. There were six or seven teeth on each side of the very front of the upper jaw, in the premaxilla bones, and another twelve in both maxillae behind them. The second and third teeth on each side were noticeably larger than the rest of the teeth in the premaxilla, creating a space between them and the large teeth in the anterior maxilla;

Spinosaurus size comparison

large teeth in the lower jaw faced this space. The very tip of the snout holding those few large anterior teeth was expanded, and a small crest was present in front of the eyes

The sail of Spinosaurus was formed of very tall neural spines growing on the back vertebrae. These spines were seven to eleven times the height of the vertebrae from which they grew. The spines were slightly longer front to back at the base than higher up, and were unlike the thin rods seen in the pelycosaur finbacks Edaphosaurus and Dimetrodon, the two sailed pelicosaurians from the Permian period.

The size of the Spinosaurus in Jurassic Park III is listed at 43 feet long and 16 feet tall (19 feet at the top of the fin), although the animatronic stood 20 feet (6.1 meters) and weighed 26,000 lbs (12 tons), making it the largest dinosaur made in Jurassic Park III. It is unknown whether the individual seen in the film was a male or female. But due to it's territorial behavior it could be a male, however it could be female because all dinosaurs were engineered to be female and the hemaphrodite phase would not happen as the Spinosaurus seemed to be the only of it's kind, this has yet to be confirmed. If it is a male, a female Spinosaurus could be possibly larger like female T. rexes are compared to male T. rexes. But because it's got a colorful sail, it was probably a sub-adult male, like the t.rex in JP3. It could only reach speeds around 25 mph on land. It appears in the Jurassic Park Redemption series on the cover of the 1# book and possibly in the book.

Behavior in Jurassic Park

Spinosaurus rises from the river.

The Spinosaurus was a fish eater as well as taking on prey of all sizes on land and probably spent most of its time around water. Its crocodile-like mouth was full of teeth used for impaling fish, holding prey and stopping them or small dinosaurs from struggling, they were not serrated and it could not use them to tear flesh. Its massive claws were used for fishing and hunting other large dinosaurs like Paralititan or defense. It is the biggest carnivore on the island of Isla Sorna, and it's believed there is only one Spinosaurus on the island.

It should be noted that before chasing Eric and Grant by the fence, the Spinosaurus is seen standing in just one spot, staring at the group right after they realize its nearby in a true villainous fashion. This behavior is present in modern animals, including humans, crocodiles, and snakes.

Jurassic Park III

The Spinosaurus is the main "antagonist" in the Jurassic Park III film. The creature is first seen in Jurassic Park III living on Isla Sorna, fans often wonder why the groups in The Lost World: Jurassic Park did not encounter any Spinosaurus. The only answer is that the events of The Lost World took place in the southeastern portion of the island, while JP3 took place in the northwestern part. This would also solve the question of why the second film takes place in coniferous forest and the third in lush jungle. The Spinosaurus‘ range didn't cover the southeastern part of the island, so the characters from TLW did not see it.

As seen in Jurassic Park III

When Dr. Grant and Billy were talking about what dinosaur it was, Billy said he didn't remember seeing Spinosaurus on the list of dinosaurs Hammond had cloned, leading us to believe that the scientists at InGen had been tampering with the DNA of dinosaurs that Hammond had not intended to resurrect. However, it was most likely mistaken for Baryonyx when they made the animals, assuming that newly hatched/young Spinosaurus were not born with sails, but, instead, developed them as they matured.

The first encounter with it may have been the scene with the Dino-Soar boat. The reason for this is the Spinosaurus chased the people in the river during the boat attack scene, thus showing that it can hunt its prey in water however this is not conclusive as other theories exist.

The Spinosaurus after it killed the Tyrannosaurus rex in Jurassic Park III

When the JP3 group first encounter it on the island, it eats two of the mercenaries and chases the remaining "visitors" into the jungle, where they bump into a male Tyrannosaurus, which, ironically, chases them right back towards the Spinosaurus. The two massive predators see each other, and a fight breaks out over food and territory. After a quick, but brutal fight, the Spinosaurus eventually kills the T. rex, by breaking it's neck, thus giving the group the chance they need to escape as the Spinosaurus eats its new kill. The group soon runs into the Spinosaurus again after hearing a

The spinosaurus just standing there like a villain

satellite phone ring, which they then realize was last in the possession of someone eaten by the Spinosaurus, leading to another chase resulting in the group barely escaping the jaws of the super predator. It appears once more towards the end of the movie, attacking the group on a barge, nearly drowning most of the group and almost eating Paul Kirby. But is soon frightened off when leaking gasoline from the boat's ruptured engine is ignited by a flare shot by Dr. Grant. However, despite what happened in the movie, Tyrannosaurus Rex would have won this fight for real due to being an alot more advanced creature than Spinosaurus, with a much stronger biteforce.

Toy Lines

TLWS1 Spino

Spinosaurus appears in The Lost World Series 1, JP3 and JP CamoXtreme and the recent jp 2k9 Toy lines. Because The Lost World Series 1 was released before recent scientific discoveries, the Spinosaurus here is very inaccurate. It also has a different code name, "Slice". It is way too small, could possibly be a juvenile and features the oldschool megalosaur-like head. The toy from the third movie is more accurate with its crocodile like head. It came in two sizes, one in the same size as The Lost World version and a big one.

In Video Games

The Spinosaurus has appeared in all games based on Jurassic Park III.

Jurassic Park: DNA Factor

The Spinosaurus appears as the boss of the game's penultimate stage. During the stage, the player is running through the tops of several trees, and the Spinosaurus chases the player and tries repeatedly to bite. To damage it, the player must pick up some of the bombs in the area and throw them at the rampaging reptile. Sometimes the Spinosaurus crouches down under the trees and lunges up with its sail.

Jurassic Park III: Park Builder

Spinosaurus

Spinosaurus also appears in Jurassic Park III: Park Builder.

Jurassic Park Operation Genesis

Spinosaurus can be seen in all its neck-snapping glory in Operation Genesis as a five-star large carnivore. It doesn't always come out on top over Tyrannosaurus in the game. It has the ability to kill any dinosaur (with the exception of Brachiosaurus due to its immense size) it wishes to fight or eat if it has the strength or courage. The Spinosaurus whenever coming out of its' hatchery is almost always inspecting for other dinosaurs to claim territory. This proves that Spinosaurus is the most selfish, ill-tempered dinosaur and the most territory-demanding in the game. Whenever meeting a T. rex it tends to whack its mouth in a territorial manner to drive it away and when it doesn't it engages in a death duel. Spinosaurus is the largest carnivore in JPOG.

Jurassic Park: Island Attack

Spinosaurus appears twice in this game, but it's more of a stage hazard then an enemy. It can't be killed, and will just chase the player until a certain point in the stage is reached. It is first encountered at the beginning of the game, and then later at the climax.

Warpath: Jurassic Park

Before it's appearance in the movie series, Spinosaurus appeared in the Warpath video game for the PSX. Here, due to the game being made before recent scientific discoveries, the Spinosaurus has a body shape more similar to that of an Allosaurus rather than it's current, scientifically accurate, crocodilian-like features. Also, its attack patterns was the same as the Megaraptor. This is because the original Spinosaurus fossil destroyed during Allied bombings on Berlin in WWII.

Dino Defender

Spinosaurus appears around 3 times in the game. It can be seen fighting a T. rex near the end of the game.

Danger Zone

Spinosaurus appears anytime in the game.

Jurassic Park: Survival

The Spinosaurus was to have appeared in the scrapped game Jurassic Park: Survival.

Inaccuracies

• The JP3 Spinosaurus had two crests on its head, while a real Spinosaurus only had one.
• The JP3 Spinosaurus had a very robust head with serrated teeth, when the real one had a slender, smaller skull with straight, conical teeth - ideal for catching fish.
• The JP3 Spinosaurus was depicted swimming like a crocodilian - undulating its tail - but at the time, it was believed that tetaturan ("stiff-tailed") theropods swam by paddling with their feet, as the tendons in their tails were believed to reduce flexibility. But a recent Velociraptor fossil depicts its tail in a curved position, demonstrating that even the theropods with the stiffest tails still retained a high degree of flexibility. However, this was discovered long after the making of the film, so the JP Spinosaurus‘s method of swimming was intended to be an inaccurate creative license. They had no way of knowing that it was actually correct.
• In JP3, Spinosaurus is seen killing the T. rex by snapping it's neck, in real life it would not be able to do this, because it didn't have a thumb for grabbing nor wrist function to twist the T. rex‘s neck.

Gallery

A Spinosaurus is seen wandering around and a Tyrannosaurus Rex in the distance

The Spinosaurus‘ info in JP:OG

The Spinosaurus is wandering and seeing the Tyrannosaurus rex while it's walking around

The skeleton of the Spinosaurus on the logo, and 2 Pteranodons and one big shadow of one

Spinosaurus as seen in Warpath: Jurassic Park

Spinosaurus from The Lost World Series 1 toyline (Image courtesy of JPToys.com)

Aqua Spinosaurus (Courtesy of JPToys.com)

Jungle Spinosaurus from the CamoXtreme toyline (Image courtesy of JPToys.com)

Spinosaurus hatchling from the Jurassic Park 2009 toyline (Image courtesy of JPToys.com)

Arctic Spinosaurus from the CamoXtreme toyline (Image courtesy of JPToys.com)

Desert Spinosaurus from the CamoXtreme toyline (Image courtesy of JPToys.com)

Swamp Spinosaurus from the CamoXtreme toyline (Image courtesy of JPToys.com)

Spinosaurus mini-figure from the Jurassic Park 2009 toyline (Image courtesy of JPToys.com)

A Spinosaurus as it appears in Zoo Tycoon 2 Jurassic Park Pack 1

Spinosaurus - 01.jpg

A Spinosaurus skeleton in a Japanese museum

Spinosaurus head

Spinosaurus modal

Spinosaurus roaring

Spinosaurus and Velociraptor antirrhopus

Trivia

• The Spinosaurus is the main dinosaur antagonist in Jurassic Park III, recognized as the dinosaur on the teaser posters (along from the Velociraptor family in the film).
• Originally the Baryonyx was supposed to be the main dinosaur in the film, but it was replaced by the Spinosaurus because Baryonyx was too small.
• It is possible that the above inaccuracies may be due to InGen tampering with the Spinosaurus' (or Baryonyx‘s) DNA. Another possibility is that InGen deliberately created Spinosaurus to serve as the top predator of its work, thus proposing an example on how the Spinosaurus managed to kill off the Tyrannosaurus.
• Although it is the largest predatory dinosaur on the island, it was, ironically, pretty much smaller than its real-life counterpart, which is now believed to grow up to 60 feet long.
• In reality, the Spinosaurus probably would not have won. Recent studies show that Spinosaurus was actually more of a fish and small dinosaur hunter than an apex predator and less built for power. The Tyrannosaurus rex had a much higher bite force, and the bite to the Spinosaurus's neck shown in the film would have killed the unfortunate animal instantly, and even if it didn't, the infection from the bite of the T-rex would have killed the Spinosaurus later on.
• This is the first dinosaur in dinosaur movies to defeat a Tyrannosaurus, thus making people thinking if there are stronger and larger carnivorous dinosaurs than T-rex, even though it probably wouldn't have won in real life and it isn't actually stronger than T.Rex.
• It is the second theropod to battle a T. rex in the movies. The first were the Velociraptors from the first film, although the raptors died.
• Its possible since the Marine Facility was a 'Plan B' for the park, the Spinosaurus and the Tylosaurus were also a 'Plan B' for the park.
• Two scenes were cut from the third film, which would have the Spinosaurus getting attacked and killed by the raptors (possibly from the same pack that followed Grant and the other characters), as well as the Spinosaurus attacking the military forces at it attempts to leave the island.
• It's possible that there are more than one Spinosaurus in the island; one is seen in the Topps comics.
• The Spinosaurus is rumored to appear in Jurassic Park 4.
• It is possible that the Jurassic Park Spinosaurus has crocodilian DNA in its genome. This would explain its incredible strength, ferocity, and method of snapping necks, which is similar to the style in which crocodiles hunt, nicknamed "The Death Roll". Meanwhile, its overly bulky build and serrated teeth may be due to its DNA possibly being blended with that of other theropods, such as Tyrannosaurus.

External links

• Spinosaurus aegypticus at DinoData.net
• Spinosaurus at the Dino Directory
• The Biggest Carnivore: Dino History Rewritten
• Spinosaurus Jaws
• Discover Magazine
• Spinosaurus on Wikipedia
• Spinosaurus fact file on dinosaurfactfile.wikia.com