Was Spinosaurus fr a 'Hell Heron'? Digging Into the Star ...

What’s Happening

Here’s the thing: With an incredible sail and heavy bones that might have acted as ballast, Spinosaurus seems primed for snatching fish.

The creature has long captivated the public, from its early mysteries to the recent discovery of a new species Was Spinosaurus fr a Hell Heron? Digging Into the Star of Netflix’s The Dinosaurs With an incredible sail and heavy bones that might have acted as ballast, Spinosaurus seems primed for snatching fish. (shocking, we know)

Spinosaurus was the largest and most aquatic of the spinosaurs, a group of dinosaurs with crocodilian snouts.

The Details

Андрей Белов via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY 3. 0 Standing in the shallows of an ancient sea, a large Spinosaurus catches a fish, drops it into the water and waits.

Before long, the blood attracts a shark, which swims right into the dinosaur’s gaping jaws. Just a snap, a shake and a swallow, and the shark is gone.

Why This Matters

This imaginary scene, brought to life in CGI, has been a chief draw to Netflix’s new documentary series The Dinosaurs . And for good reason: Spinosaurus is a star in its own right, estimated to have stretched more than 46 feet from the tip of its crocodilian snout to the end of its paddle-shaped tail. Though comparable in size to the land-based, carnivorous Giganotosaurus and iconic T.

Scientists and researchers are watching this development closely.

Key Takeaways

• Rex , the sail-backed Spinosaurus had a taste for seafood—it was an adept fish-eater.
• But, the experts are quick to point out that Spinosaurus didn’t necessarily use bait to hunt.
• Netflix’s dramatic scene is speculative.
• “There is no evidence for such behavior,” says Johns Hopkins University paleontologist Matteo Fabbri , who has researched Spinosaurus behavior.

The Bottom Line

The show’s creators, he suggests, simply had the dinosaur enact a more sensational version of modern green herons ’ strategy of sometimes dropping twigs or feathers in the water to entice little fish. Such speculation is possible because Spinosaurus is a dinosaur surrounded by questions—one whose popularity outstrips what the experts actually know about the animal.

Thoughts? Drop them below.