A newly-discovered fossil has many people convinced that researchers have uncovered a real-life dragon for the first time.
The skull, which is as large as an adult person, discovered in Africa’s Sahara Desert, has a long reptile-like jaw, full of pointy teeth the size of a human hand, and an enlarged snout eerily similar to the crocodile.
The skull also featured a giant curved horn which sat above the eyes and spikes which protruded from the back of the head, making the animal look like the flying creatures in ancient legends worldwide.
Discovered by a team from the University of Chicago, the newly found species has been named Spinosaurus mirabilis, meaning ‘astonishing spined lizard.’
This massive predator lived roughly 95 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period, when scientists believe the Sahara was a lush, forested area containing rivers and inland waterways hundreds of miles from the ancient oceans.
Spinosaurus mirabilis, also known as the ‘hell heron,’ is estimated to have been around 40 feet long and weighed between 10,000 and 14,000 pounds. The fossils suggest it could stand in water up to seven feet deep as it fished for food.
Researchers believe the dragon-like creature was actually from a dinosaur family known as Spinosaurids, who all shared these crocodile-like features, a large hump or sail-like structure along their spines, and the ability to walk on two massive back legs with two shorter limbs in the front.
This particular species of the Spinosaurus had a 20-inch-tall bone sweeping up from between its eyes, which the team compared to a curved sword known as a scimitar.
University of Chicago paleontologist Paul Sereno (Pictured) stands with the skull of the Spinosaurus mirabilis, discovered in the Sahara Desert
Fossils discovered at the dig site in present-day Niger reveal a prehistoric creature that had razor-sharp teeth the size of a human hand
However, the reconstruction of the beast’s huge skull, with a long jaw full of interlocking teeth and the curved, sword-shaped bony crest, has revealed a creature that looks identical to mythical depictions of a ferocious fire-breathing dragon.
‘That’s definitely a dragon head,’ one person declared online. ‘Just say it’s a dragon already,’ another commenter added.
Scientists and museums have continued to claim that dragons, the winged dinosaur-like creatures seen in shows such as Game of Thrones, never existed, and stories about them were likely referencing sightings of large reptiles.
In fact, the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis even claims on their website: ‘There’s simply no evidence in nature or the fossil record to suggest it ever happened.’
Officially, University of Chicago paleontologist Paul Sereno and his team believe the creature is a member of the spinosaurid family.
These were large, meat-eating dinosaurs that likely lived between 95 and 130 million years ago, and were best known for including the famous Spinosaurus, known by dinosaur fans for its signature crocodile-shape head and giant sail on its back.
However, researchers, publishing their work in the journal Science, estimated there were ten to 17 different species of this prehistoric predator, with the newest fossil marking the latest one to be unearthed.
‘This find was so sudden and amazing, it was really emotional for our team,’ said Sereno in a statement. ‘I’ll forever cherish the moment in camp when we crowded around a laptop to look at the new species for the first time.’
The Spinosaurus mirabilis skull fossil seen from the front with its jaw open to show the massive teeth inside
An artist’s depiction of the Spinosaurus mirabilis recently discovered in the Sahara Desert
The suspected dinosaur stood out from typical big predators like the Tyrannosaurus Rex or Allosaurus because of its ability to adapt, especially when it came to catching fish and living near water.
The odd find is believed to be the tallest head crest known among all meat-eating dinosaurs, also called theropods.
‘The unicorn of spinosaurids,’ one commenter said about the unique horn on the fossil’s head.
‘I definitely think the ancients encountered at least a couple of things like this because this is definitely a dragon,’ another person claimed on social media.
The shocking find in a region far from the sea could rewrite what history has suggested about spinosaurids needing to live near coastlines and oceans.
Researchers from the University of Chicago found the new species in the desert of present-day Niger in an area that hadn’t been excavated in over 70 years
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Should ancient dragon legends be taken more seriously given these new dinosaur discoveries?
The specific fossil site where Spinosaurus mirabilis was found had gone completely untouched by scientists for over 70 years before the recent expeditions visited the area in 2019 and 2022.
In the 1950s, French geologists exploring this part of present-day Niger found a single saber-shaped tooth, similar to those of big meat-eaters like the Carcharodontosaurus, a creature similar in appearance to the T. rex.
Although the discovery of the fossil was noted, there were no records of anyone ever returning to the extremely remote region, full of sand seas and far from any roads or settlements.
Sereno decided to track down that long-lost fossil site with the help of a local Tuareg guide on a motorbike who claimed to know places where big fossil bones were visible in the sand.
