Aquatic adaptation in the skull of carnivorous dinosaurs (Theropoda: Spinosauridae) and the evolution of aquatic habits in spinosaurids

The Spinosauridae is a specialized group of theropod dinosaurs characterised by a long, narrow skull, robust forelimbs with a hooked thumb claw, and tall neural spines forming a dorsal sail. The ecology of these unusual dinosaurs has been debated since the original discovery of Spinosaurus aegyptiacus in 1912. Morphological similarities to crocodilians, including tooth shape and an elongated rostrum, indicate a piscivorous diet, and in the giant...