Spinosaurus aegyptiacus holds the distinction of being the largest predatory dinosaur ever discovered — longer than Tyrannosaurus rex, heavier than most things that have ever walked the Earth. What makes it genuinely unusual is what it chose to do with that size: get in the water.
Landmark studies published in 2014 and 2020 confirmed Spinosaurus as highly adapted to aquatic life — dense bones for buoyancy control, paddle-like feet, nostrils positioned high on a crocodyliform skull, and a tail shaped for propulsion through water. It inhabited the river systems and coastal waterways of prehistoric North Africa, hunting primarily large fish including the giant sawfish Onchopristis. It is the only known dinosaur with confirmed semi-aquatic adaptations.