Radio Cadena Agramonte emisiora de Camagüey
A team of paleontologists has discovered new remains of a species of ankylosaur, called Spicomellus afer, characterized by its unique bone structures. According to a statement from the University of Birmingham (United Kingdom), which participated in the study published in the journal Nature, this is the oldest ankylosaur in the world and one of the dinosaurs with the most imposing and unique morphology.
The specimen, described in the statement as unusual, was approximately four meters long and weighed between one and two tons, and lived more than 165 million years ago during the Middle Jurassic. Its remains were discovered near the Moroccan city of Boulemane, representing the first discovery of an ankylosaur in Africa.
Unlike other ankylosaurs—which had bony plates on their necks and backs—Spicellus afer featured armor made of spikes that emerged directly from its ribs, forming a structure never documented in any other vertebrate, extinct or living.
Scientists suggest that the longest spikes—87 centimeters long—emerging from a bony collar around its neck may have grown even larger during the animal's life.
Although these protuberances were initially thought to serve a dissuasive function against predators, their size and location suggest they were not limited to defense. Researchers propose that they may also have been used to demonstrate strength, attract mates, or intimidate rivals. (Text and photo: RT)
