In the head of a spinosaur
Marco Schade is the first author of this study, in which the structure of a spinosaur braincase was analysed, providing insight into the ecology of this dinosaur group.
09.06.2020
Schade M, Rauhut OWM, Evers SW (2020). Neuroanatomy of the spinosaurid Irritator challengeri (Dinosauria: Theropoda) indicates potential adaptations for piscivory. Scientific Reports 19: 92259.
The full text of this paper is available here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-66261-w.
By reconstructing the braincase and the inner ear of the spinosaur Irritator challengeri, it was possible to estimate the natural angle of the head. The findings are sugggesting that spinosaurs like this species were specialised predators that used downwards snatching movements to capture prey such as fish.
