Spinosaurus aegyptiacus

"thorn lizard of Egypt"

LATE CRETACEOUS:  95 - 93 million years ago

The remains of Spinosaurus aegyptiacus were first discovered by a German collector in 1912 in central Egypt.  A variety of pieces were recovered including a skull and teeth.  On the evening of April 24, 1944, a British bombing run on Munich destroyed these and many other rare fossil specimens.

Spinosaurus is estimated to have been THE LARGEST of all meat-eating dinosaurs that ever lived.  With a length of 52.5 to 59 feet long, 20 feet high and 9 - 10 tons in weight, it was truly a behemoth!  Its most unusual feature was a row of broad club-shaped spines 6 feet tall, projecting upward from the backbone.  It's believed that these spines were covered with a sail of skin which could be raised by the creature as a social display or as a way to regulate body temperature.  

To this day, no other dinosaur has been found with such tall and broad-shaped neural spines.  Fossil remains of Spinosaurus aegyptiacus are only found in the North African Sahara Desert.  Contrary to the inhospitable desert environment where Spinosaurus fossils are found today, this region was a vast swampy tropical paradise abundant with life during the Cretaceous Period when Spinosaurus was alive and inhabiting its muddy river shores and bogs.   

The dinosaur specimens we offer are not limited to what is just shown here.  Please inquire as to any of your specific needs.