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Who, What, When?
Who, What, When?
Spinosaurus was first discovered in 1912 by German paleontologist Ernst Stromer in the Bahariya Oasis of the Western Desert in Egypt. Stromer unearthed several unusual skeletal elements, including parts of a crocodile-like lower jaw, teeth, and tall back vertebrae with spines measuring nearly six feet. Tragically, the original fossils were destroyed during a World War II bombing of Munich in 1944.
This image shows a fossil reconstruction of Ernst Stromer's Spinosaurus and its distinctive vertebrae with their elongated spines, which formed the dinosaur's iconic sail. These tall spines, some nearly six feet in length, were part of the dinosaur's back and are one of its defining features.
Photocopy of plate I of Ernst Stromer’s original 1915 publication on Spinosaurus
Stromer’s conception of Spinosaurus, as depicted in a 1936 publication
This Ted Talk gives a little bit of insight on how Mr. Ibrahim discovered parts of Spinosaurus as well as his journey through the Sahara Desert
Later On...
Later On...
Over a century later, in the early 2000s, paleontologist Nizar Ibrahim, working with a fossil hunter in the Sahara Desert, rediscovered and identified additional Spinosaurus remains, including parts of the skull, sail, and paddle-like feet. These findings reignited interest in this unique dinosaur and its mysterious lifestyle.
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