An artist's rendering of S. afer, an early ankylosaur with huge spikes protruding from its neck. (Photo: Matthew Dempsey)
A fossilized ankylosaurus discovered in the mountains of Morocco in 2023 was adorned with some of the most fearsome armor ever seen.
Researchers suggest that this menacing array of spikes was the result of sexual selection – like a peacock’s tail, it originally evolved to attract mates, not to ward off predators. By displaying this bulky figure, the dinosaur, named Spicomellus afer, was demonstrating that it was a healthy and worthy mate.
The study, which analyzed the fossilized remains of a S. afer specimen dating back to the Middle Jurassic (174.7 to 161.5 million years ago), was published Wednesday (August 27) in the journal Nature.
You may like
-
Tyrannosaurus rex relatives 'walked the moon' to attract females, new dinosaur 'mating arena' suggests
-
Mysterious 'runner' dinosaur is a sign that the western US is hiding undiscovered Jurassic secrets
-
Meet the “dragon prince” – a newly discovered relative of the Tyrannosaurus rex that lived in Mongolia 86 million years ago.
An earlier rib fragment with fused spines, discovered in 2021 also in Morocco, provided the first evidence of this strange species.
“It was so weird that the first thing we did was do a CT scan to make sure it wasn’t a fake and that someone hadn’t attached spikes to the top of the ring,” lead study author Suzanne Maidment, a paleontologist at the Natural History Museum in London, told Live Science. The ring turned out to be real, so she and her team tracked it down to its location, leading to the 2023 discovery in the Middle Atlas Mountains near Boulemane.
Analysis of the new fossil material confirms that S. afer is the oldest known ankylosaur. The specimen includes fragments of vertebrae and ribs, parts of the pelvis, and osteoderms — bony deposits on the skin that are characteristic of modern reptiles such as crocodiles and alligators.
The fossils helped the authors reconstruct what the animal might have looked like in life. The short, turtle-shaped animal was about 4 meters long, Maidment said. She noted that the skeleton is incomplete, so those measurements are likely inaccurate.
Long spines extended from the osteoderms on the neck, forming a bizarre ring on the head.
Bones of a partially preserved specimen of S. afer, found in 2023.
“Ankylosaurs have bony neck frills, but they're usually a series of flat plates fused together and just going around the neck,” Maidment said. “This one had a huge, strong bony frill that followed the shape of the neck, with a couple of huge, metre-long spikes sticking out on either side.”
The longest of the ten cervical spines, running along both sides of the neck, was at least 87 cm long. Additional spines protruded from each rib and were effectively part of the skeleton.
“When we see features in living animals that are highly exaggerated and don't seem to serve any function (and that would be unpleasant to carry around), they are somehow sex-linked,” Maidment said.
However, researchers suggest that these spines may have had a secondary, protective function.
They suggest that the tail had a club-like appendage at the end. One of the blade-like spines the researchers found was 42 cm long and was unlikely to have been attached to any other part of the body.
RELATED STORIES
—115 million year old dinosaur footprints discovered in Texas after devastating floods.
— The “most remarkable” fossil of a Jurassic sea monster from Germany belongs to a previously unknown species.
— An ancient shark has been discovered deep inside the world's longest cave system.
The tail vertebrae that supported this fearsome skeleton indicate that the defensive club mechanisms of the Cretaceous ankylosaurs were already in development early in the evolution of this group of dinosaurs. The “handle vertebrae” (tightly connected bones with no cartilage between them) helped stabilize the bony appendages for which the ankylosaurs later became known.
The fact that S. afer had similar bones suggests that its armor was not just decorative—its tail also served as a deterrent to predators.
In ankylosaurs, functionality may have followed fashion. Cretaceous ankylosaurs had much simpler armor, which almost certainly served as protection against the growing number of theropod dinosaurs, crocodiles, snakes, and mammals that might have found them attractive prey.
Richard Pallardy, Live Science contributor
Richard Pallardy is a Chicago-based freelance science journalist. His work has appeared in publications including National Geographic, Science Magazine, New Scientist, and Discover Magazine.
You must verify your public display name before commenting.
Please log out and log back in. You will then be prompted to enter a display name.
Exit Read more
Tyrannosaurus rex relatives 'walked the moon' to attract females, new dinosaur 'mating arena' suggests
Mysterious 'runner' dinosaur is a sign that the western US is hiding undiscovered Jurassic secrets
Meet the “dragon prince” – a newly discovered relative of the Tyrannosaurus rex that lived in Mongolia 86 million years ago.
Bite marks suggest that the giant terror birds may have been potential prey for another predator – the giant caiman.
Males of four previously unseen tarantula species have record-long genitalia.
The Ash-Winged Dawn Goddess is the oldest pterosaur ever discovered in North America. It was so small it could fit on your shoulder. Dinosaur News
115-million-year-old dinosaur footprints discovered in Texas after devastating floods
Tyrannosaurus rex relatives 'walked the moon' to attract females, new dinosaur 'mating arena' suggests
The “Ash-Winged Dawn Goddess” is the oldest pterosaur ever discovered in North America. It was so small it could fit on your shoulder.
“Imagining How I'd React If I Seeed a Real Giant Dinosaur”: What the Scientific Advisor of Jurassic World: Resurgence Thinks About the Film
Mysterious 'runner' dinosaur is a sign that the western US hides undiscovered Jurassic secrets
Meet the “Dragon Prince” – a newly discovered relative of the Tyrannosaurus rex that lived in Mongolia 86 million years ago. Latest news
'So weird': Ankylosaurus with 90cm spikes sticking out of its neck discovered in Morocco
Chinese scientists have created multi-colored succulents that glow in the dark and are charged by sunlight.
80,000-year-old stones in Uzbekistan may be the world's oldest arrowheads – and they may have been made by Neanderthals.
Tenth time lucky! SpaceX's Starship successfully completes test flight after a series of failures.
Scientists have just developed a new AI modeled after the human brain that outperforms LLMs like ChatGPT at reasoning tasks.
Exotic Quartz Arrow May Have Killed Man 12,000 Years Ago in Vietnam LATEST ARTICLES
Lucky for the 110th time! SpaceX's Starship successfully completed a test flight after a series of failures.
Live Science is part of Future US Inc., an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate website.
- About Us
- Contact Future experts
- Terms and Conditions
- Privacy Policy
- Cookie Policy
- Accessibility Statement
- Advertise with us
- Web Notifications
- Career
- Editorial Standards
- How to present history to us
© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.
var dfp_config = { “site_platform”: “vanilla”, “keywords”: “type-news-daily,serversidehawk,videoarticle,van-enable-adviser-
Sourse: www.livescience.com
