Spinosaurus Nesting

Everything about Spinosaurus(except the sail) suggests a lifestyle not completely unlike that of a crocodile, so nesting behavior that's similar in nature isn't impossible. I like that theory the most, but that's just me :D

REX FAN 684 - Indeed! That assumption is incredibly fun to play with in its myriad possibilities! I happen to think the sail might have partially functioned something like a rudder for this animal - helping it navigate with more fluidity while diving to greater depths. Perhaps Spinosaurus sometimes hunted within the far reaches of the ocean - seeking large prey for which only it was adapted to stalking? The variations are endless - and quite fun to consider! :)

Indeed. It'd be quite the display structure in the water as well. Changing color and such. Many possibilities. 

REX FAN 684 - Now that's an interesting thought! Hmm, if the animal's sail possessed the capability to change color (via chromatophores), that would open another and incredibly diverse line of thinking! To what extent could the animal alter its exterior coloration, and what purpose would such an adaptation serve? I've no doubt that Spinosaurus was the biggest and baddest customer in its environment, thus I doubt such an ability would be for protection. However, like certain ambush predators, changing color as a means to go unnoticed by prey is a facet I'd consider heavily! :)

Display for mates is a possibility. Seeing a 6 foot, colorful sail, sticking out of the water would be quite something. Maybe males and females did dances in the water like modern crocs and some birds do. Swimming up alongside each other and such. T.rex flashed feathers and did a dance like a bird of paradise while Spinosaurus swam around and changed it's sail's colors.

REX FAN 684 - What a beautiful image you've evoked! I'd absolutely love to see a pair of animals as massive and beautiful as Spinosaurus performing a water-borne dance. Can you imagine the fluidity and grace they'd have to utilize in order to avoid harming one-another during the courtship? When you're that size, even a little romantic waltz could be dangerous if you're not careful! ;)

Yeah. Saw this pic and thought of it could be a good representation of it...

REX FAN 684 - That's beautiful! I've seen that image in National Geographic - but never with such resolution and clarity! Thank you so much for providing this! :)

Sure thing. I think I know how I'll view Spinosaurus now. Personally, I think it walked on all fours most of the time using it's knuckles. When courting a mate, it'd take the water and use it's sail in an elaborate water dance. This was a huge, 6 ton predator that hunted mostly in the water, occasionally taking out small prey that wandered too close to the water. When a female laid it's eggs, she'd build a large nest for them and watch over them until they hatched like a crocodile. When they hatched, the young would head for the water and stay in their mother's territory until they were big enough to fend for themselves, though the mother wouldn't directly protect them. 

That's just my opinion/theory though.

Interesting theory. I myself believe it was more like a crocodile, protecting its nest.

REX FAN 684 - An extremely compelling viewpoint! I happen to believe that, if the Spinosaurus was an aquatic quadruped, your theory neatly matches up with what its physiology would suggest - especially for an animal of such size! Hmm, your statement about this animal taking smaller prey that drew too close to the water's edge has presented an interesting spin-off thought. With a quadrupedal configuration, Spinosaurus is incredibly front-heavy - especially given its powerful forelimbs and massive head. Is it possible that Spinosaurus was designed specifically to snatch prey from the shores with those massive claws and gripping teeth - perhaps like a crocodile lying in wiat for prey? The animal wouldn't require powerful hind limbs for such a lifestyle; it's powerful hands and jaws would make short work of anything onto which they latched. Perhaps the Spinosaurus utilized its jaws to hold onto its prey while its powerful claws tore it to pieces? This is something I'll certainly consider for future theories! Thank you for spurring this line of thought! :)

ALLOTITAN - I'm fairly in line with your sentiment. Given the nature of this beast, it was likely a fierce guardian! :)

No problem. I find these theories make Spinosaurus far more interesting than ever before. I talked to Peter Larson about the mating behavior I came up with and he told me I was right to use modern relatives as a reference.

REX FAN 684 - Most certainly! The new perspective that's been placed upon Spinosaurus renders it, in my opinion, an infinately more interesting animal. I certainly believe it was an apex predator beyond reproach from just about any other theropod of its era. I can definately imagine this animal being the absolute tyrant of its domain; nothing would transpire without its scrutiny. I also happen to believe that everything else in its environment was absolutely terrified of it - making a trip to the water's edge a life or death decision! Not only that, but in the instances in which Spinosaurus would venture onto land, I've a general opinion that it could take prey with relative ease - making it a double threat for the fauna of its environ! :)

I do think Carcharodontosaurus and Sarcosuchus would give it a run for its money, but yes, Spinosaurus was certainly near the top of the food chain.

REX FAN 684 - You raise an interesting question here. Spinosaurus undoubtedly shared its habitat with other large predators. With this as the case, and given its hypothetical diet of water-based fauna, do you suppose Spinosaurus gradually took to the water out of neccesity? Could it be that this animal evolved to take advantage of a food source that many of the other theropods and super-predators of its time were ill-adapted to access? Hmm, the possibilities are extremely fun to speculate! :)

tha is certainly possible seeing that spino lived with carcharaodintosaurs, sauroniops, deltadromeus/bahariasaurus, rugops, and kaprosuchus.@ rex fan, sorry to disagree with you again but sacrosuchus lived a few million years earlier with suchomimus. That is a very common misconception just like aregentinosaurus sliced with giganotosaurus. though now we know that was wrong and it was Mapusaurus. Anyways, I think cretaceous Africa was a lot like modern day Africa.

spinosaurus- lion/nile crocodile, spino is still one of the largest(if not THE largest) predatorifi his domain. So he would have been the one to bully and steal the kills from other. Though this doesn't mean that it can't hunt on his own. He is reptilian and part crocodylomorph so that means it is semi- aquatic so it would have a similar niche to a Nile croc. Though it wouldn't have the same hinderences.

carcharadontosaurus- leopard, it is an active yet stealthy hunter who is often overshadowed or scared off from a kill by the larger spinosaurus,

sauoniops-cacaral, slightly smaller then the others though it can still hunt and fight. He often gets scared away by the carcharaodintosaurs and spinosaurus.

deltadromeus- cheetah, he is the speed demon of the time and relied on sheer agility and quickness to secure a meal for itself. One of the smaller predator who is weaker then done of the others and will often get whys food stolen.

rugops- jackal, they often scavenge. Rarely hunt.

kaprosuchus- hyena, occasionally scavenge

paralatitan- elephant/giraffe

oranosaur- gazzelle

I am sure you guys will notice and agree with the parallels I just made.

I agree that Spino would nest much like an alligator, with the mother fiercely protecting her offspring in shallow water for a few weeks. (Maybe a mother Spino carried her young in her mouth. :P)

TYRANT KING - What a very interesting spread of data you've presented! I greatly enjoy the comparisons you've made; very nicely thought out! :)

SCI-FI KING25 - Hahaha! It would be an absolutely darling site to see a mother Spinosaurus with her babies hidden carefully away within her jaws! No one would make an attempt on the infants without giving some serious thought to the action! :)

@Tyrant King, I never thought of it that way. (Also, I never knew that Sarcosuchus and Spino lived in different times, along with Argentinosaurus and Giganotosaurus.)

TYRANT KING - Considering the extremely interesting theories you've presented, do you believe it's possible that Spinosaurus Aegyptiacus dwelled in large communal groups in the same manner as the Nile Crocodile? Or do you posit that this animal was a solitary predator that was fiercely territorial?

I think it would be just likit ole crocs and would generally live in those communal groups and would all get hunt together if the food was big enough for all of them. There would probably be a big make with smaller males and females. I would not want to be in a spino infested river.............

At scifiking25 I am happy to help, any other questions?

TYRANT KING - Indeed! That would be one of the most hostile and dangerous locations on the face of the primeval planet! Can you imagine what a feeding would be like? Just think; dozens of massive predators over 50ft in length churning through the water to rip apart an animal the size of an African elephant - or perhaps even larger! I must say, that would be both a breathtaking and horrifying site to behold! :)

Oh yea, don't forget ambushing 35 foot 4 ton hadrosaurs and 44 foot 7 ton carcharadontosaurus. And feasting on 110 foot 75 ton beasts..........

TYRANT KING - Needless to say, it wouldn't have been excatly the most hospitable environment with regards to one's longevity! If Spinosaurs dwelled in large groups, I've a sinking suspicion they likely had fierce competition for the choicest pieces of prey! :)

I think Spinosaurus did nest croc-style. It would be cool to see how it hunted. Ten of them in the water attacking large hadrosaurs or long neck dinosaurs (can't for the life of me think of their names). It would have been beautiful and revolting at the same time. The question is, could they fully submerge themselves in the water? Would the sail hinder that?

GOJIRA2K - I understand exactly what you mean! With regards to the sail, I've a thought that it might have served in the same capacity as a rudder - allowing the animal to cut through the water with the power and ease of a shark! Can you imagine a 50ft-long, even ton theropod cruising through the water with all the ease of a white pointer (great white)? That, my friend, would instil dread in just about anything foolish enough to venture past the shallow end of the pool! :)

I hadn't thought about comparing them to sharks. To add to that premise, the sail could have been like a killer whale's fin, a dolphin's fin, or a sailfish's fin. It would scare me if I ever saw that.