It's already blowing up on the paleo sphere, but let's welcome another #Spicomellus post! (reconstruction by the insanely talented @sketchy-raptor.bsky.social) www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Richard Butler
@richardjbutler.bsky.social
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Dinosaur researcher, Professor of Palaeobiology & Director of Research, University of Birmingham. Co-chair #2025SVP Host Committee. Mostly in meetings; would rather be on fieldwork. Current projects in 🏴 🏴 🇲🇦 🇷🇸 🇰🇬 🇺🇸 🇷🇴 🇭🇺
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I forgot to credit @sketchy-raptor.bsky.social for the incredible reconstructions of Spicomellus used in this thread and the paper!
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Meet Spiny Norman, the earliest known and definitely the most outrageously spiky ankylosaur ever discovered, as presented by @tweetisaurus.bsky.social & @richardjbutler.bsky.social in @nature.com. Q: how did it mate? A: carefully. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Extreme armour in the world’s oldest ankylosaur - Nature
The ankylosaurian dinosaur Spicomellus afer possessed a tail weapon and uniquely elaborate dermal armour.
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It's finally here!
Meet Spicomellus - one of the world's strangest dinosaurs! After being named in 2021, many questions remained about what this ankylosaur looked like.
So, in 2023, I was part of an NHM content contingent who followed @tweetisaurus.bsky.social up into the Atlas Mountains...
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If you don't have access to Nature, but would like to read our paper on the new specimen of #Spicomellus, you can read it online at this link with no subscription: rdcu.be/eCJK3
Extreme armour in the world’s oldest ankylosaur
Nature - The ankylosaurian dinosaur Spicomellus afer possessed a tail weapon and uniquely elaborate dermal armour.
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Have you ever heard of #Spicomellus?
It’s one of the world’s strangest dinosaurs. Its rib bone has spikes fused to it - something unheard of in any other animal!
But now, more of the skeleton has been uncovered - and it's even stranger than anyone imagined... (1/4) 🧵
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If you like the new specimen of #Spicomellus, check out this film of us excavating the specimen, by Ben Webber at the @nhm-london.bsky.social youtu.be/TEeCFl0MJ0A?...
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It also highlights the incredible significance of Moroccan palaeontology. A very sad part of this story is that Spicomellus fossils - very likely parts of exactly the same skeleton that we describe - are for sale having been illegally poached & smuggled. I hope these find their way back to Morocco.
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This turns ankylosaur evolution on its head in many ways - we have the most bizarre armour in ankylosaur history right at the beginning of the evolution of the group, perhaps functioning for display rather than defence. We have a tail weapon at least 30 million years earlier than expected.
