Fossils found on rocky beaches indicate a double problem on the Isle of Wight, England, about 127 million years ago. Previously unknown large dinosaur predators lived side by side, perhaps adapted for waterside hunting.
Scientists announced on Wednesday that they had discovered fossils of two Cretaceous carnivores. Both are about 30 feet (9 meters) long and boast an elongated crocodile-like skull. The southwestern part of the island is home to one of Europe’s most dinosaur-dwelling places. ..
These are examples of dinosaurs called Spinosaurus, known for their elongated skulls with many conical teeth that are ideal for catching slippery fish, as well as their strong arms and large claws.
One is named Ceratosuchops inferodios, which means “a hellish heron with a horned crocodile face”. Due to the lifestyle of foraging the bird’s coastline, the name refers to herons. Ceratosuchops had a series of low horns and ridges that adorned the area of the eyebrows.
The second was named Riparovenatormilnerae, meaning “Milner’s riverbank hunter,” in honor of the British paleontologist Angela Milner, who died in August. It might have been a little bigger than Ceratosuchops.
According to Chris Barker, a PhD student in paleontology at the University of Southampton and the lead author of a study published in the journal Scientific Reports, each weighs about 1-2 tons and has a skull of 1 yard. Estimated to be length.
“Both are heron-like coastline hunters who walked in the water and quickly pushed their heads down to grab fish and small turtles, and on land they did the same to grab baby dinosaurs. Basically, he would have eaten anything small that he could grab. “
Spinosaurus was part of a broad group of bipedal meat-eating dinosaurs called theropods, including things like Tyrannosaurus rex. As a semi-aquatic hunter, Spinosaurus targeted a variety of prey and lacked the giant box-shaped skull and large serrated teeth of Tyrannosaurus, which inhabited North America about 60 million years later.
Ceratosuchops and Riparovenator roamed the floodplain environment in a subtropical Mediterranean climate. Burnt wood fossils were found throughout the Isle of Wight cliffs, and forest fires occasionally devastated the landscape.
According to Barker, the habitat provides Seratos chops and liparovenators with plenty of hunting opportunities as large rivers and other bodies of water attract plant-eating dinosaurs and raise many teleost fish, sharks and crocodiles. It is said that it was done.
The researchers said the two dinosaurs could have lived at the same time, perhaps with different prey preferences, or a little time apart. There was a third spinosaurus of about the same time named Baryonyx. The fossil was excavated in the 1980s, lived nearby, was about the same size, and was probably slightly smaller.
Partial ruins of Ceratosuchops and Riparovenator were found near the town of Brighstone. Ceratosuchops are known from the skull material, while Riparovenator is known from both the skull and tail materials. Both have neurocraniums that give these creatures special insights.
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