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Spinosaurus was the only known dinosaur that swam.

Bigger than T. rex, with a sail on its back and a tail like a fish.

2 min read
Spinosaurus was the only known dinosaur that swam.
THE FULL STORY

For decades, every dinosaur paleontologists knew was firmly a land animal. Then, after years of arguing about Spinosaurus, scientists finally pieced together a near-complete skeleton in 2020 - and confirmed that Spinosaurus is the first known dinosaur that genuinely swam.

It was huge - about 50 feet long, even longer than T. rex. Its skull was long and narrow like a crocodile’s, lined with cone-shaped teeth perfect for spearing slippery fish. Its tail was finlike, paddle-shaped, and could push it through water. Even its bones were dense, like a hippo’s, to help it sink rather than float.

The most striking feature is the huge sail along its back: skin stretched over giant 6-foot-tall spines. Scientists still aren’t sure if the sail was for display, temperature control, or both - but you would have seen it sticking out of the water like a giant fin.

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