A trio with Detroit Mercy roots have helped contribute to a remarkable dinosaur discovery.
Visiting professor and scholar Nizar Ibrahim, Amanda Emke ’20 and former Biology lab technician Justine Becker contributed to a study of the Spinosaurus, which revealed that it had high bone density and likely spent much of their time in the water.
The findings were published in Nature on Wednesday, March 23.
Scientists have debated whether the Spinosaurus, the largest carnivorous dinosaur ever, had pursued prey in the water or near the shore. The team compared femur and rib bones with living and extinct animals.
Through the study, it was discovered that the Spinosaurus had highly dense bone walls like penguins, suggesting that the Spinosaurus and its cousin, the Baryonyx, spent much of their time in the water.
Perviously, Ibrahim helped lead a team of researchers to discover that the Spinosaurus was aquatic in 2020.
