A team of paleontologists from the Natural History Museum in London and the University of Birmingham (UK) has described an ankylosaur that boasted the most extreme adornments ever observed in vertebrates (and even among other ankylosaurs).
Various spikes literally covered the entire body of Spicomellus afer, which lived during the Middle Jurassic period over 165 million years ago.
“Throughout my career, I have worked with armored , but I have never seen anything like this,” said paleontologist Suzanna Maidment from the Natural History Museum in an interview with Science Alert.
“It had numerous spikes of different shapes and sizes. Some were interconnected, forming complex structures. There were also several rib spikes, teardrop-shaped plate spikes, and a whole bunch of things I couldn’t even identify. And I was particularly struck by the collar with meter-long spikes protruding from its neck,” the scientist described the prehistoric creature.
What are ankylosaurs?
These are some of the most charismatic monsters that once roamed our planet. Their thick , covered with heavy bony armored plates, protrusions, and spikes, are associated with dramatic battles in which ankylosaurs defended themselves from becoming prey to other dinosaurs.
A vivid representation of Spicomellus afer comes from one of the most remarkable ankylosaur fossils ever found, featuring a beautifully preserved armored back.
Spicomellus is the oldest known representative of the ankylosaur genus, which reached its peak during the Cretaceous period. Previously, scientists could only imagine it from a single fragmented rib bone discovered in Morocco, which was used to describe the species in 2021.
However, this was just the first ankylosaur found in this North African country. In 2023, a local farmer reported the discovery of several unusual bones that he had rescued from a flood. Researchers responded to the call and went to the farmer to study the bones and excavate new ones. What the paleontologists ultimately found astonished them.
“It was immediately clear that this was something incredibly strange. These fossils were stunning,” said paleontologist Richard Butler from the University of Birmingham. As the team unearthed more fossils, they appeared increasingly bizarre.
Spicomellus was “spikier than an introvert with a drained social battery,” the scientists joked. It was literally covered in bony protrusions. The true pride of the ankylosaur was its armored shield, from which large spikes protruded. Its neck was adorned with a collar of long spikes.
Until now, researchers believed that the armor was primarily needed for defense. On the other hand, these protective structures were too cumbersome to have any practical application. According to Ms. Maidment, “these armors could have been used more for display than for defense.”
suggested that there may have been other ankylosaurs with exceptionally sharp spikes that have yet to be discovered. They could help fill in some gaps in the knowledge about Spicomellus and ankylosaurs that lived on Earth later.
“Our team will continue to explore the fascinating ecosystem in the Middle Atlas Mountains (Morocco). We hope to uncover many more strange dinosaurs and perhaps even another Spicomellus. It would be amazing to find its skull!” shared Suzanna Maidment about their plans.
The research results were published in the journal Nature.
