A team of British, American, and Moroccan palaeontologists has made a groundbreaking discovery in Morocco, revealing that the world’s most unusual dinosaur, Spicomellus afer, is even stranger than initially thought. The fossil, acquired by Professor Susannah Maidment in 2019, was found to have an extraordinary skeleton covered in massive bone spikes measuring up to one metre long.
The team’s excavation led to the discovery of more fossils, including spiked ribs, huge spikes projecting out of its hips and a tail weapon. One of the longest spikes measured over 87 centimetres and emerged from a bone collar around its neck. The researchers believe that these spikes were covered by a keratin sheath similar to cow horns.
What’s remarkable about Spicomellus is that it’s the oldest known ankylosaur, with fossils dating back to 165 million years ago. However, the team notes that its “absolutely bizarre” fossils are challenging how scientists think armoured dinosaurs evolved. The discovery suggests that Africa’s dinosaurs played a significant role in shaping our understanding of these ancient creatures.
The researchers speculate that Spicomellus’ elaborate armour may have originated as a form of defence and later became used for display purposes, such as attracting mates or showing off to rivals. This theory is supported by the fact that other ankylosaurs had simpler forms of armour later on, possibly due to increased predation.
The findings were published in the journal Nature and provide new insights into Morocco’s Middle Jurassic period. The team hopes that further research will shed more light on this fascinating region and its unique dinosaur fossils.
Source: https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2025/august/bizarre-armoured-dinosaur-spicomellus-afer-rewrites-ankylosaur-evolution.html