The Return of the Spinosaurus: Jurassic World Rebirth’s Aquatic Apex Predator

In Jurassic Park III, Spinosaurus aegyptiacus was a formidable opponent. This land and water-dwelling dinosaur returned multiple times as the ultimate villain, even against the king of dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus Rex. It’s confirmed that Spinosaurus returns in Jurassic World Rebirth, but likely with a few “character mods” to reflect evolutionary accuracy. That said, how accurately is Spinosaurus depicted in the earlier movies? Could it really have taken down a beast like T Rex? As it turns out, recent fossil discoveries reveal there’s more to this apex predator than its Hollywood reputation.

Spinosaurus and Its Ferocious Reputation

German paleontologist Ernst Stromer and his assistant, Richard Markgraf, discovered the first partial skeleton of Spinosaurus in 1912. It was found in Egypt’s Bahariya Oasis. The dinosaur was called a “spined lizard” and was named for the unique sail along its back. Tragically, these first fossils were destroyed during a World War II bombing that targeted the Munich museum where the fossils were kept. Though the first records of Spinosaurus were lost, these would not be the only skeletal fragments ever discovered. Nearly a century later, more remains were found in Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.

Spinosaurus roamed the country we now know as Africa and was initially believed to be a fierce carnivore. Its size alone made it comparable to T Rex, which the dinosaur fights in Jurassic Park III. When this movie premiered in 2001, paleontologists knew little of the enormous dinosaur. Its weight is still heavily debated, but it was estimated to be roughly 49 feet long. Its skull measured approximately six feet, with the sail on its back measuring nearly five and a half feet. Spinosaurus may have weighed up to 8.2 short tons.

From the outside, Spinosaurus looked like a vicious prehistoric creature. Its head was crocodile-like, with smooth, cone-shaped teeth. Each three-digit hand had one large claw, likely used to snag prey. Its most defining feature was its back sail. Experts believe it was webbed, but have not ruled out the possibility of being more hump-shaped. Spinosaurus’s hind legs were very short, contrasting with its original depiction in Jurassic Park III. In this movie, it sits higher up and takes a combative stance similar to T Rex. Some paleontologists believe Spinosaurus walked on all four limbs rather than two short hind legs, but little evidence supports this. A paddle-like tail indicates Spinosaurus was also more aquatic than experts initially thought, and recent fossil discoveries confirm this.

Hollywood’s Evolution Vs. Actual Evolution

In Jurassic Park III, Spinosaurus did some outlandish things, even for a dinosaur of its size. It took down a plane with minimal effort, ate Cooper in one fell swoop, and was intelligent enough to hunt the main cast. It was also smart enough to roll the tattered plane cockpit to shake a few humans loose. While dinosaurs in Jurassic Park have human-like intelligence, there’s no evidence that this was the case. If it existed today, Spinosaurus may not even hunt humans as prey. Instead, its diet was far more straightforward and better-suited to its lifestyle.

Ninety-four million years ago, Spinosaurus ate large fish and other marine life. It may have also hunted medium-sized land animals and even small dinosaurs. It’s impossible to know if humans would have been on the menu, but several other dinosaurs were more likely to snack on us as slow-moving prey. Chances are, if humans weren’t in the water, they wouldn’t have been eaten. Spinosaurus had high bone density, which is conducive to submerging. Unlike Jurassic Park III, there’s no way to know if Spinosaurus swam in depths this deep. Still, experts determined this dinosaur most likely hunted in shallow water, and its sail and paddle-like tail aided in navigation. In this case, tidal flats and mangrove forests were more likely locations for Spinosaurus. As for its prey, even Spinosaurus wouldn’t have risked its life to go after humans rather than an easily caught fish.

Spinosaurus in Jurassic World Rebirth

Spinosaurus was well-loved in Jurassic Park III, and it’s no surprise it reappeared in the trailer for Jurassic World Rebirth. However, some notable differences exist between the original and new dinosaur designs. For starters, the Spinosaurus in Jurassic World Rebirth is marginally lower to the ground. This is a more accurate depiction, since it was recently discovered to have short hind legs. This would have brought the dinosaur closer to the ground when it walked, if not on all fours. The new Spinosaurus also has a more triangular head, characteristic of its reptilian, crocodile-like shape. We see three versions of Spinosaurus in total, but it’s unclear whether they will all feature the same design.

Another noteworthy characteristic of the new dinosaur design is its paddle-like tail. This differs from the original, which does flag some concerns for fans. Spinosaurus was part of a species left behind on Rebirth Island, meaning it should look relatively similar. While the new design is far more historically accurate, it differs significantly from 2001, when little was known about this species. The species is also shown swimming in relatively deep water, which may have been possible, but not necessarily accurate. That said, it would make for a far more dramatic battle sequence. If Spinosaurus is kept as monstrous as it was in Jurassic Park III, we can look forward to plenty of aquatic combat…and possibly some gruesome kills.