“We were astonished by its unusual characteristics and how it differs from other dinosaurs, or even all known living or extinct animals,” stated Richard Butler, co-leader of the project and paleontologist at the University of Birmingham in the UK.

The chance to examine the fossils of Spicomelas was to “sway the spine,” Butler remarked.

It wasn’t only the project participants who were captivated.

“This is genuinely one of the most bizarre and unique dinosaurs I have ever encountered,” said Steve Brusatte, a vertebrate paleontologist at the University of Edinburgh, who was not part of the research.

“With spikes jutting out across its body, it resembles a kind of reptilian porcupine,” he mentioned on Thursday. “If you were a carnivorous dinosaur from the Jurassic period, you would definitely want to steer clear of this creature.”

Brusatte continued: “This exemplifies how much there is still to uncover. Prior to the discovery of these fossils, there was no indication that such a remarkable animal existed.”

Maidment, another co-leader of the study, emphasized the need for further research in Africa, noting that countries such as Morocco are untapped reservoirs for dinosaur exploration.

“It’s vastly underrepresented compared to other continents,” said a representative from the National Museum of History in London.

Maidment mentioned that the Spicomellus project, which commenced in 2018, encountered numerous challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic.

The UK team was set to travel and collaborate with their Moroccan counterparts when British Prime Minister Boris Johnson declared the lockdown, resulting in a postponement of plans until 2022.

In spite of these obstacles, research initiatives have marked significant progress in Moroccan science.

“This research has significantly advanced Moroccan science. I have never encountered a dinosaur like this before. There’s still so much more to discover in this area.”