The saber-crested dinosaur lived in the river region of present-day Niger

Saharan a new species of dinosaur has been discovered in the desert, which belongs to the Spinosaurus.

The discovery was made in the interior of present-day Niger, several hundreds of kilometers from the seas. It is unusual, as Spinosaurs have previously been found mostly in coastal strata.

Professor Paul Serenan led by a group found the fossil with the help of a local guide, says University of Chicago Bulletin. The guide led the researchers to the fossil on a long hike in 2019. The group returned to the fossil in 2022.

Now the study has been published science journal Science.

One paleontologists, i.e. researchers of fossil remains, conjured digital 3D models of the bones that the researchers had found on the spot.

“The work was done with the help of solar energy in the Sahara desert. This is how we were able to assemble the dinosaur skull on the spot,” Sereno recalls online service EurekAlert bulletin and website according to Science Alert.

It turned out that the dinosaur’s skull once had a magnificent crest, the like of which has not been found before in dinosaurs of this species.

Paleontologists call the new species by name Spinosaurus mirabilis. It means a wonderful vertebrate lizard.

Species that is, about 95 million years ago.

The researchers also found fossilized blood vessels in the bones. They suggested that the bone of the skull crest was covered by a keratin sheath. It made the brush up to half a meter high.

Keratin is a familiar substance from, for example, human hair and nails.

The sable crest was perhaps colorful, similar to the toucans’ beaks today.

The crest of the skull is handsome, but its purpose is a mystery. The brush may have had a decorative role or it could be used to identify fellow species.

All spinosaurs had a large dorsal sail. The sail was built from spines over 1.6 meters long. With the help of its sail, the dinosaur either evaporated or collected heat.

Sabre-crested the dinosaur’s teeth were spiky, a bit like those of today’s crocodiles.

The researchers speculated that an animal that preyed on fish could have lived half in water.

“I imagine this dinosaur as some kind of big stork. It probably had no problem wading with its feet in water, even if it was two meters deep,” says Sereno in a University of Chicago press release.