Spinosaurus Intimidation
Alphadino65
MemberTriceratopsDecember 27, 20132643 Views13 RepliesFirstly, I want everyone to understand that is does not concern Spino vs Rex.
Secondly, the topic at hand.
Since Spinosaurus was discovered, theories concerning the function of it's sail have proposed concerning everything from thermo-regulation to status indication. But what if it was used for intimidation?
Many creatures today have structures on their bodies to make themselves look bigger and scarier, such as male lions, frilled lizards, and chameleons. When it comes to reptiles, these structures (e.g., frills, domes, dewlaps) are generally accompanied with colour-flushing to further intimidate an adversary.
Look at the size of Spinosaurus' sail in this image: 
If you measure the height of each theropod up to their iliac crests (top of the pelvis), the Spinosaurus isn't that much taller than the T.rex or the Mapusaurus, but the neural spines make Spinosaurus look much larger, and thus far more intimidating. I doubt that any passing creature (e.g., Carcharadontosaurus) would not think twice before confronting a fully grown Spinosaurus with a sail of very bright colours.
If the above image was not to scale, here's another where Spinosaurus' size is scaled down a bit:
Spinosaurus may have used its sail for intimidaition, thermoregulation, display, or something else entirely. That said, it may have used its sail for more than one purpose.
