95 million-year-old “heron of hell” was discovered; A dinosaur with a half-meter crown!

According to Live Science; New paleontological findings in Africa have revealed the existence of an unknown species of the Spinosaurus family that lived in the wide rivers of this region about 95 million years ago. Astounding in its appearance, this creature had a long, blade-like crest on its head and a large sail on its back. The discovery of the fossils of this dinosaur hundreds of kilometers away from the coast and among the river sediments has brought the old discussions about the way of life of these creatures to a new stage. Because it shows that these animals were not necessarily swimmers in the deep water, contrary to previous ideas.

By examining detailed scans of this dinosaur’s skull, researchers found that his bony crown was probably covered with keratin, which makes it half a meter high. This long crown may have had a decorative role to attract mates or scare rivals on the banks of rivers.

Based on these findings, the researchers have likened this species to a “heron of hell” that walks in shallow water with its stout legs and hunts fish. According to scientists, the presence of that heavy sail on the back took the agility needed to chase prey underwater from this dinosaur and turned him into a semiaquatic hunter who preferred to wait for prey in the shallow layers of the river instead of swimming.