Scientists Discover Massive New Dinosaur Species in Africa’s Sahara Desert

Researchers have discovered a new species of Spinosaurus dinosaur in Niger's Sahara Desert, measuring 40 feet long and weighing up to 7 tons. The prehistoric predator, nicknamed a "hell heron," featured a distinctive sword-like head crest and specialized teeth for catching fish in ancient rivers 95 million years ago.

Researchers working in Niger’s remote Sahara Desert have discovered fossils belonging to a previously unknown species of Spinosaurus, one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs ever to walk the Earth. The massive predator featured a distinctive blade-like skull crest and specialized interlocking teeth designed for capturing fish.

This ancient hunter roamed forested regions and waded into rivers to catch large fish, much like modern wading birds – though scientists describe it as a “hell heron” given its enormous size of approximately 40 feet in length and weight between 5 and 7 tons.

The creature dominated Africa’s landscape during the Cretaceous Period roughly 95 million years ago, hunting large fish including coelacanths in the area’s waterways. Its bone head crest measured about 20 inches tall and curved like a scimitar sword, while a large sail-like structure rose from its back and an extended crocodile-like snout completed its distinctive appearance.

Scientists have named the new discovery Spinosaurus mirabilis, combining the existing genus name meaning “spine lizard” with “mirabilis,” which translates to “astonishing” in reference to its remarkable crest. This represents only the second known Spinosaurus species, joining Spinosaurus aegyptiacus, which was identified in 1915 from Egyptian fossils.

The Spinosaurus genus, famous for its appearances in “Jurassic Park” films, stands as the only known semi-aquatic dinosaur predator and ranks alongside Tyrannosaurus, Giganotosaurus and Carcharodontosaurus among history’s largest meat-eating dinosaurs.

Both Spinosaurus species lived during the same time period and shared similar body structures, including elongated back spines that formed sail-like features and skulls adapted for fish hunting. However, Spinosaurus mirabilis possessed a significantly larger crest than its Egyptian relative, along with an extended snout, more widely spaced teeth, and longer rear legs.

Scientists believe the impressive crest served primarily for display purposes rather than combat, as it appears too delicate for use as a weapon despite being solid bone without air cavities found in other dinosaur crests. The crest was likely covered in keratin similar to bull horns and may have been brightly colored for mating displays, territorial disputes, or species recognition.

“It’s about love and life – attracting a mate, defending your hot feeding shallows,” explained University of Chicago paleontologist Paul Sereno, who led the research published Thursday in Science journal. “What else could be more important?”

The dinosaur’s nostrils were positioned further back than typical, allowing it to submerge most of its snout underwater while hunting swimming prey without compromising its breathing. Additionally, its upper and lower teeth rows fit together perfectly when biting, a feature called interdigitation.

“Their large conical teeth without serrations that interdigitate form a ‘fish trap’ that is very good at piercing and trapping slippery fish in the jaws, preventing them from sliding,” said study co-author Daniel Vidal, a paleontologist at the University of Chicago and Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia in Spain.

“Spinosaurus mirabilis has some of the most extreme piscivorous adaptations of any dinosaur, so we know it was better at preying upon fish than it would have been at preying upon other dinosaurs,” Vidal added.

Previous Spinosaurus aegyptiacus fossils discovered in Egypt and Morocco near the ancient Tethys Sea coastline, combined with certain skeletal characteristics, led some researchers to theorize that Spinosaurus was fully aquatic – an open-water swimmer and diving predator in marine environments.

However, the new Spinosaurus mirabilis fossils were located far inland, approximately 300 to 600 miles from the nearest ancient ocean shoreline. This discovery, along with anatomical evidence, supports the theory that Spinosaurus was a shallow-water predator rather than fully aquatic.

Sereno described the Spinosaurus mirabilis discovery as “the coup de grâce for the aquatic hypothesis.”

The fossil site at Jenguebi represents a remote Sahara location featuring fossil-rich sandstone formations surrounded by sand dunes. During their 2022 expedition, researchers departed from Agadez city in a convoy and traveled off-road through desert terrain for nearly three days, frequently becoming stuck in sand.

Their challenging journey proved worthwhile, as they uncovered portions of three Spinosaurus mirabilis skulls along with additional bones and fossils from other ancient creatures.

After years of being overshadowed by T. rex in popular culture, Spinosaurus is finally receiving recognition.

“It’s a dino-happening,” Sereno concluded.