emirates7 - About 165 million years ago, on the coastal plains of present-day Morocco, lived one of the most unusual dinosaurs ever found — Spicomellus afer.
This plant-eating dinosaur, about 4 meters long and weighing between one and two tonnes, wasn’t a towering predator. Instead, it was a stocky, tank-like creature whose most striking feature was its extraordinary armour.
According to CNN, fossils uncovered in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains that Spicomellus is the earliest known ankylosaur, a family of dinosaurs recognized for their bony plating and tail clubs. But unlike any other ankylosaur — or indeed any other animal — Spicomellus had armour that was utterly unique.
A dinosaur covered in spikes
As reported by Science Alert, Spicomellus was practically bristling with spikes of various shapes and sizes:
Rib spikes – sharp projections fused directly to the ribs, a feature never before seen in any animal.
Neck collar – a dramatic ring of spikes up to a meter long radiating outward like a crown.
Hip armour – large outward-facing spikes forming a protective pelvic shield.
Tail weapon – fused vertebrae hinting at a spiked club, suggesting this adaptation appeared at least 30 million years earlier than previously believed.
“It was spikier than a punk rave,” joked paleontologist Richard Butler of the University of Birmingham, co-author of the study published in Nature.
Dr. Susannah Maidment of London’s Natural History Museum added: “I’ve spent my career studying armoured dinosaurs, but I had never seen anything like this. That was the moment I realised we had found something completely new.”
For protection — or for show?
At first glance, such extreme armour looks like defence against Jurassic predators. But the sheer size and awkwardness of the neck spikes suggest otherwise. Maneuvering through vegetation would have been difficult, and the spikes seemed far more elaborate than survival alone required.
Researchers now believe these features were at least partly for display, similar to a peacock’s feathers or a deer’s antlers — possibly used in mating rituals, dominance displays, or territorial contests.
“The armour must have had a defensive role, but the spikes are so excessive that they almost certainly served another purpose too,” Butler told CNN.
A new chapter in dinosaur evolution
The find reshapes understanding of ankylosaur evolution. Typically, early members of a dinosaur family are simple in form, with later species becoming more elaborate. But Spicomellus challenges that view: the most extravagant armour appeared right at the beginning of the ankylosaur line.
It is also the first ankylosaur discovered in Africa. Until recently, the species was known only from a single rib fragment described in 2021. Excavations in 2022 and 2023 revealed much more, aided by a Moroccan farmer who saved some bones from floodwaters, according to Science Alert.
However, researchers warn that fossil poaching in Morocco threatens scientific progress. Some Spicomellus fossils have already surfaced for sale in Europe, potentially from the same individual studied in the new research. To safeguard future discoveries, excavation sites are now being kept confidential.
This plant-eating dinosaur, about 4 meters long and weighing between one and two tonnes, wasn’t a towering predator. Instead, it was a stocky, tank-like creature whose most striking feature was its extraordinary armour.
According to CNN, fossils uncovered in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains that Spicomellus is the earliest known ankylosaur, a family of dinosaurs recognized for their bony plating and tail clubs. But unlike any other ankylosaur — or indeed any other animal — Spicomellus had armour that was utterly unique.
A dinosaur covered in spikes
As reported by Science Alert, Spicomellus was practically bristling with spikes of various shapes and sizes:
Rib spikes – sharp projections fused directly to the ribs, a feature never before seen in any animal.
Neck collar – a dramatic ring of spikes up to a meter long radiating outward like a crown.
Hip armour – large outward-facing spikes forming a protective pelvic shield.
Tail weapon – fused vertebrae hinting at a spiked club, suggesting this adaptation appeared at least 30 million years earlier than previously believed.
“It was spikier than a punk rave,” joked paleontologist Richard Butler of the University of Birmingham, co-author of the study published in Nature.
Dr. Susannah Maidment of London’s Natural History Museum added: “I’ve spent my career studying armoured dinosaurs, but I had never seen anything like this. That was the moment I realised we had found something completely new.”
For protection — or for show?
At first glance, such extreme armour looks like defence against Jurassic predators. But the sheer size and awkwardness of the neck spikes suggest otherwise. Maneuvering through vegetation would have been difficult, and the spikes seemed far more elaborate than survival alone required.
Researchers now believe these features were at least partly for display, similar to a peacock’s feathers or a deer’s antlers — possibly used in mating rituals, dominance displays, or territorial contests.
“The armour must have had a defensive role, but the spikes are so excessive that they almost certainly served another purpose too,” Butler told CNN.
A new chapter in dinosaur evolution
The find reshapes understanding of ankylosaur evolution. Typically, early members of a dinosaur family are simple in form, with later species becoming more elaborate. But Spicomellus challenges that view: the most extravagant armour appeared right at the beginning of the ankylosaur line.
It is also the first ankylosaur discovered in Africa. Until recently, the species was known only from a single rib fragment described in 2021. Excavations in 2022 and 2023 revealed much more, aided by a Moroccan farmer who saved some bones from floodwaters, according to Science Alert.
However, researchers warn that fossil poaching in Morocco threatens scientific progress. Some Spicomellus fossils have already surfaced for sale in Europe, potentially from the same individual studied in the new research. To safeguard future discoveries, excavation sites are now being kept confidential.