Horned ‘Hell Heron’ Dinosaur Discovered in Sahara

Paleontologists from the University of Chicago have discovered a new dinosaur species while digging up fossils in Niger in the central Sahara. The new beast – actually an old beast, having stomped the earth about 95 million years ago – is described in the journal Science.

The standout feature of Spinosaurus mirabilis is a nearly 2-foot-long hornlike projection at the top of the head. “The scimitar-shaped crest of S. mirabilis was so large and unexpected that the paleontologists initially didn’t recognize it for what it was when they plucked it and some jaw fragments from the desert surface,” according to a university press release.

The scientists think the crest was likely covered in keratin, the stuff that makes up hair, fingernails, and hooves. They also believe it was a brightly colored projection, but can only speculate on its function.

S. mirabilis must have been a formidable presence back in the day, even among other terrible lizards. It was about 40 feet long and weighed between five and seven tons, roughly the size of a T. rex. The spinosaur sported interdigitating teeth, meaning the uppers and lowers nested together, like those of a crocodile.

“I envision this dinosaur as a kind of ‘hell heron’ that had no problem wading on its sturdy legs into two meters of water but probably spent most of its time stalking shallower traps for the many large fish of the day,” says lead author Paul Sereno.

Other spinosaurs lived exclusively in more aquatic coastal areas, but this species likely stomped around a forested inland habitat dissected by rivers, at least a half mile from the nearest marine shoreline. That was then; today the area is within the bone-dry Sahara Desert.

The fossil and other accouterments of the dig will make their public debut next month at the Chicago Children’s Museum. The exhibit will include a painted recreation of the S. mirabilis skull and a touchable – and colorful – model of the keratin-covered scimitar crest.

“Letting kids feel the excitement of new discoveries — that’s key to ensuring the next generation of scientists who will discover many more things about our precious planet worth preserving,” says Sereno.

Photo credit: Dani Navarro / University of Chicago