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New dinosaur species had spikes fused with their rib bones


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A new dinosaur fossil from Morocco dating to 167-163 million years old is thought to be the oldest ankylosaur ever discovered.

These armoured, herbivorous dinosaurs are fairly well known from the northern continents, but this is the first time that the remains of one has been found in Africa.

What's more, the fossil ribs show a feature not seen in any other animal: the protective spikes that once would have lined the sides of this animal are actually fused to the rib bones themselves.

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The new fossil has been described in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution and named Spicomellus afer.

Ankylosaurs are a group of dinosaurs typically known for the extraordinary bony armour that once covered their backs.

'When we got the fossil, we thought it was probably part of a stegosaur because we'd found a stegosaur at the site from which it originates'. 'But we just don't see stegosaurs with this sort of armour.

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Source - https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2021/september/new-species-of-dinosaur-had-armour-unlike-anything-seen-before.html

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