Fossils of a new species of huge dinosaur Spinosaurus unearthed in Niger [View all]

Source: Reuters

-At a remote and barren Sahara desert site in Niger, scientists have unearthed fossils of a new species of Spinosaurus, among the biggest of the meat-eating dinosaurs, notable for its large blade-shaped head crest and jaws bearing interlocking teeth for snaring slippery fish.

It prowled a forested inland environment and strode into rivers to catch sizable fish like a modern-day wading bird - a "hell heron," as one of the researchers put it, considering it was about 40 feet (12 meters) long and weighed 5-7 tons.

-snip-

Along with the existing genus name Spinosaurus, meaning "spine lizard," the researchers gave it the species name mirabilis, meaning "astonishing," referring to its crest. A genus is a group of closely related species bearing similar traits. For example, lions and tigers are the same genus but different species.

-snip-

The two Spinosaurus species, which were contemporaneous, shared the same general body plan including long dorsal spines forming the sail-like structure and a skull adapted for hunting fish. The crest of Spinosaurus mirabilis is much larger compared to Spinosaurus aegyptiacus, and it has a more elongated snout, teeth more spread out from each other and longer hind limbs.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/science/fossils-new-species-huge-dinosaur-spinosaurus-unearthed-niger-2026-02-19/

news.uchicago.edu/story/hell-h...

— Stephanie Baumgart, PhD 🦖🦆 (@stephanopteryx.bsky.social) 2026-02-19T20:06:59.555Z