Two paleontologists in Portugal discovered a new species of spinosaur that had the ability to quickly regenerate its teeth and even had some spare ones.
Although this characteristic is common in the epinosaurid family, the new species would have regenerated them quickly because, according to paleontologists, they also lost them quickly.
#NewDino #IberospinusNatarioi A new spinosaurid from Iberia! https://t.co/LBP0G2rrDz pic.twitter.com/T6Tfg5nD7S
— Dario Estraviz López (@DarioEstraviz) February 16, 2022
Paleontologists Octávio Mateus and Darío Estraviz-López tell in an article published in the magazine PLOS ONE characteristics of the new species, named Iberospinus natarioiwhich means “Iberian spine”, according to the German media Deutsche Welle.
The discovery of Iberospinus natarioi It came about after a series of excavations dating back to 1999, when amateur paleontologist Carlos Natário discovered the fossil remains of a rare prehistoric animal. The fossil was unearthed between 2004 and 2008, and after analysis, it was thought to be the remains of the famous Baryonyx walkeria spinosaurid theropod from the Cretaceous period.
In 2020, Mateus and Estraviz-López carried out an additional excavation in which they found teeth, parts of his jaw, a femur and other vertebrae. After studying them, they concluded that it was a new species of spinosaur.
Upon analysis of the teeth, Estraviz-López said replacement teeth were found in the dental sockets (the hollow in the bone where a tooth usually sits).
“This means that their teeth fell out very, very quickly,” said the paleontologist.
Spinosaurs were predators with elongated jaws, similar to those of crocodiles, so they had serrated teeth that they used to catch their victims.
Some spinosaurs, like the Spinosaurus aegyptiacuswas a fearsome marine predator, while others, like the Baryonyx walkeriwere theropods that dominated on land.
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