Spinosaurus Tooth - Classic Boxed Specimens
Spinosaurus Tooth - Classic Boxed Specimens
Topping out at just over 18m long (59ft), Spinosaurus is one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs ever discovered. This family of giant theropods also happens to be among the most surprising creatures in the fossil record.
This specimen is a complete crown and partial root of a real, fossilized Spinosaurus tooth from the Kem Kem fossil beds of Morocco. Small, Medium, and Large sizes come in our classic, glass-topped riker boxes while the XL size ships stand-alone in a sturdy carton.
TOOTH & CLAW
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📸 Example Spinosaurus Teeth by Size: Large (2.25" to 3"), Medium (1.75" to 2.25"), Small (1" to 1.75").
Classic Riker Box Spinosaurus Tooth Sizes
As you might expect, Spinosaurus teeth vary in size, width, and color. For convenience we've grouped teeth into similar sizes by length and "visual weight" in order to assign then to categories:
Small - 1" to 1.75" (approximately 2.5cm to 4.5cm)
Medium - 1.75" to 2.25" (approximately 4.5cm to 5.5cm)
Large - 2.25" to 3" (approximately 5.5cm to 7.5cm)
Extra Large - 3" to 5" (approximately 7.5cm to 12.5cm)
Small and Medium Spinosaurus Teeth ship in a glass-topped riker box case measuring 4 1/2" x 3 1/2". The Large Spinosaurus Tooth ships in a 6 1/2" x 5 1/2" glass-topped riker box case. XL Spinosaurus teeth are larger than our display cases and instead ship in a sturdy packing carton. All teeth include a small information card that also serves as the certificate of authenticity.
📸 Extra large Spinosaurus tooth in hand.
Extra Large and Showcase Specimens
In addition to the classic boxed specimens, we also have even larger teeth available. These massive teeth are too large for our standard riker boxes and will ship in sturdy cartons.
Extra large teeth are 3" to 5" (approximately 7.5cm to 12.5cm) and come with a small information card that also serves as the certificate of authenticity. Showcase specimens (larger than 5") are priced and sold individually, and come with individual certificates of authenticity.
Please note: ALL Spinosaurus teeth will show some sign of repair. In addition, to protect the specimen during transit every Spinosaurus tooth is individually wrapped.
On receipt, simply open the top of the case and unwrap the tooth and then arrange the tooth inside the case as pictured here on the site. We also recommend placing the bubble wrap under the soft, white lining of the case. This extra padding will keep the tooth snug in the case after the lid is secured.
TEMPORAL RANGE: 112,000,000 to 72,000,000 years ago
MORE ABOUT SPINOSAURUS
"Spinosaurus appears to have been poorly adapted to bipedal terrestrial locomotion. The forward position of the center of mass within the ribcage may have enhanced balance during foot-propelled locomotion in water." ~ Nizar Ibrahim, Paleontologist, University of Chicago
📸 Artist's rendition of Spinosaurus that will likely need some updating based on the evolving understanding of this unique dinosaur species!
Topping out at just over 59ft long (18m), Spinosaurus is one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs ever discovered. This family of giant theropods also happens to be among the most surprising creatures in the fossil record.
Nearly everything about Spinosaurus defies traditional thoughts about carnivorous dinosaurs. To begin, Spinosaurids are the only known family of semi-aquatic dinosaurs. They also had long, narrow skulls, almost crocodile-like in appearance, and their jaws were lined with conical teeth instead of the curved, blade-like ziphodont teeth of most theropods.
📸 A small Spinosaurus vertebra and neural spine sail (left) compared to the 20.2" Dimetrodon Vertebra (right). (Source: Mini Museum)
Convergent Evolution
As its name suggests, Spinosaurus also had elongated neural spines forming a massive dorsal sail.
In some species, the spines in the namesake sail measure more than 6ft (2m) in length, providing the framework for an impressive structure that would rise high above the water. The shape and function of this spine sail have been hotly debated topics. Some theories suggest that the sail wasn't a sail at all but a "fatty-hump". However, a detailed reconstruction in 2014 concluded that the spines were too poorly vascularized to support such a structure and the spines were likely covered by skin and used for display. The same study also suggests that its limbs were somewhat shorter than previously thought, and appear to be specifically adapted to paddle-swimming like early whales.
📸 Spinosaurus swimming 3D render via Ibrahim, Nizar, et al. "Semiaquatic Adaptations in a Giant Predatory Dinosaur." Science 345.6204 (2014): 1613-1616.
📸 Plate I in Stromer (1915) showing S. aegyptiacus holotype elements
Original Holotype Destroyed
Explorer and fossil collector Richard Markgraf discovered the first Spinosaurus remains in 1912 near the Bahariya Oasis in Western Egypt. At the time, Markgraf was working for German paleontologist Ernst Stromer. He sent the partial remains to Stromer in Munich who announced the discovery in 1915 and named the species Spinosaurus aegyptiacus.
Then in 1944, the allied bombing of Munich destroyed Erich Stromer's entire dinosaur collection including the original, or holotype, specimen Spinosaurus aegyptiacus.
⭐ New Science!
Underwater Dinosaurs
Recently, a brand new paper has turned the Spinosaurus' lifestyle on its head once more. A study of the animal's bone density shows Spinosaurus would have been quite heavy, which may have helped it submerge and hunt below the water as well. Without flippers, compacted bones may have been a solution for the species to move underwater. Not only would this be a new way of looking at Spinosaurus, but it would change our understanding of all dinosaurs, as previously underwater hunting was only within the realm of marine reptiles outside the dinosaur group, such as mosasaurs and plesiosaurs.
Front of the Specimen Card
ℹ️ The artwork on this card is likely to change as the science around this genus continues to evolve.
Back of the Specimen Card
Further Reading
Ibrahim, Nizar, et al. "Semiaquatic Adaptations in a Giant Predatory Dinosaur." Science 345.6204 (2014): 1613-1616.
Smith, Joshua B., et al. "New Information Regarding the Holotype of Spinosaurus Aegyptiacus Stromer, 1915." Journal of Paleontology 80.02 (2006): 400-406.
Stromer, Ernst. "Wirbeltier− Reste der Baharije− Stufe (unterstes Cenoman). 3. Das Original des Theropoden Spinosaurus Aegyptiacus nov. gen. nov. spec." Abhandlungen der Königlichen Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Mathematisch− Physikalische Klasse 28 (1915): 1-32.
Fabbri, Matteo, Guillermo Navalón, Roger BJ Benson, Diego Pol, Jingmai O’Connor, Bhart-Anjan S. Bhullar, Gregory M. Erickson et al. "Subaqueous foraging among carnivorous dinosaurs." Nature (2022): 1-6.