Tag Archives: armor

The Oldest Ankylosaurus Showcase: Unique and Elaborate Skin Armor

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Armored Ankylosaurus Dinosaur While primarily recognized in late Cretaceous ecosystems of the Northern Hemisphere, the early evolution of ankylosaurs during the medium Jurassic era remains largely enigmatic due to sparse fossil evidence. Spicomellus Afer has been proposed as the oldest known ankylosaurus and the first discovered in Africa, though this was based on only partial ribs from the Jurassic deposits of central Morocco. Currently, paleontologists are working on a new, better-preserved specimen that affirms the relationship of this ankylosaurus with its relatives and reveals that, unlike contemporary or extinct vertebrates, it features uniquely sophisticated dermal armor.

Reconstructing the life of Spicomellus Afer. Image credit: Matthew Dempsey.

Spicomellus Afer inhabited Morocco during the mid-Jurassic period, approximately 168 million years ago.

The species was first described in 2021 based on a single fossilized rib.

“In studying spicomellus,” said Professor Richard Butler from the University of Birmingham:

“We were astonished by its uniqueness and how it differed from other dinosaurs and surviving or extinct life forms.”

“This finding challenges our previous understanding of ankylosaurs, indicating how much more we have yet to discover about dinosaur evolution.”

Professor Butler and his team identified that Spicomellus Afer had fused bone spikes that extended over all the ribs—a feature not seen in either living or extinct vertebrates.

These ancient spikes measured up to 87 cm, and it is believed they could grow longer throughout the animal’s life, emerging from a bony collar around its neck.

“The presence of such advanced armor in early ankylosaurs alters our perceptions of their evolutionary trajectory,” remarked Professor Susanna Maidment, a paleontologist at the Museum of Natural History in London and the University of Birmingham.

“This underscores the significance of African dinosaurs and highlights the necessity to further explore them.”

“spiccomellus showcased various plates and spikes extending from its entire body, including meter-long neck spikes, large protruding spikes at the waist, elongated blade-like spikes, paired long spikes for armor, and plates situated beneath the shoulders.”

“We have never encountered anything quite like this in the fossil record.”

“This is particularly intriguing considering that it is the earliest known ankylosaurus. Although later species might have inherited similar characteristics, we should not assume this was the case.”

Researchers speculate that these spikes may have served as displays to attract mates and deter rivals.

Interestingly, no comparable display armor has been identified in other ankylosaurs; the armor in later species likely evolved to be more functional for defense.

One reason for this may be the evolution of larger predatory dinosaurs during the Cretaceous, alongside the emergence of carnivorous mammals, crocodiles, and snakes, leading to a greater need for defensive adaptations among ankylosaurs.

However, one trait that early ankylosaurs might retain is their tail weaponry.

Though the tail of spiccomellus was not recovered, existing bone fragments suggest the presence of club-like structures. Part of the tail vertebrae is fused, forming what is known as a “handle,” a feature only seen in ankylosaurs with tail clubs.

Nevertheless, these latter animals thrived millions of years later in the Cretaceous.

The combination of tail weapons and armored shields indicates that key adaptations seen in ankylosaurs were already present in spicomellus.

This discovery highlights the importance of fossil records in unraveling evolutionary mysteries and enhancing our understanding of dinosaur distribution.

It also ignites the imagination surrounding the dinosaurs like spicomellus.

“This research has significantly advanced Moroccan paleontology,” remarked Professor Doris Oahatch, a paleontologist at Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdela University.

“I have never encountered a dinosaur quite like this. There is still so much to uncover in this field.”

A study detailing this discovery was published in the journal Nature today.

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Scr Maidment et al. The world’s oldest Ankylosaurus armor. Nature Published online on August 27th, 2025. doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09453-6

Source: www.sci.news

Research reveals that Mycenaean armor was created for extended battles

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A 3,500-year-old Mycenaean bronze suit of armour discovered in the Greek village of Dendra may have been used in combat and not just for ritual purposes as previously thought.

Volunteer Marines wearing replica Dendra armor during a mock battle during a demonstration study. Image credit: Andreas Flouris / Marija Marković.

One of the oldest armors discovered in Europe is a 3,500-year-old suit of armor found near the village of Dendra, a few kilometers from ancient Mycenae in southern Greece.

Since its discovery in 1960 by a team of Greek and Swedish archaeologists, it has been unclear whether it was ceremonial clothing or gear suitable for combat.

This question has important implications for understanding warfare in Late Bronze Age Europe, yet there is no historical record of the use of this style of armour.

In a new study, Professor Andreas Floris from the University of Thessaly and his colleagues combined historical and experimental evidence to investigate the combat suitability of Dendra armour.

The researchers recruited 13 volunteers from the Greek Marine Corps, outfitted them with replica Dendra armour and Bronze Age weapons, and had them carry out 11 hours of simulated Bronze Age combat protocols.

This battle simulation was developed based on the historical records of Homer. Iliad Additionally, we add physiological and environmental evidence to approximate the typical diet, activities, and operations of a Mycenaean army.

Testing has shown that the replicated Dendra Armor does not restrict a warrior's combat capabilities, nor does it place undue strain on the wearer.

These results suggest that Dendra armour was battle-hardened and that the Mycenaeans' powerful influence on Mediterranean history was due in part to their armour technology.

To complement these results, the authors developed freely available software that allows for the simulation of combat conditions and allows testing the hypothetical effectiveness of the armor in more diverse scenarios.

“The armour worn by our volunteers had the same dimensions as the Bronze Age originals and weighed roughly the same,” Professor Floris said.

“We also monitored calorie intake based on the Homeric diet (about 4,443 calories), which Iliad“It linked calorie expenditure and the stress placed on the volunteers' bodies in typical Greek summer temperatures of 30-36°C.”

“As the 11-hour combat protocol began, we measured heart rate, oxygen consumption, core body temperature, fluid loss and muscle function.”

“We found that this armor allows complete flexibility of movement and does not place undue physiological stress on the body.”

“This means that, despite previous views that classified the armour as ceremonial clothing, it could have been worn for extended periods during battle by healthy individuals.”

“Sixty years have passed since the discovery of Dendra armour, and we now know that, although seemingly cumbersome, it was not only flexible enough to permit nearly all of a warrior's movements on foot, but also durable enough to protect the wearer from most blows.”

of result Published online in the journal PLoS One.

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AD Floris others2024. Analysis of Greek prehistoric full-body armour combat based on physiological principles: a series of studies using thematic analysis, human experiments and numerical simulations. PLoS One 19(5): e0301494; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301494

Source: www.sci.news

A newly discovered Stegosaurus species had distinctive skin armor

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A new genus and species of stegosaur from the Middle Jurassic period has been identified from fossilized posterior skulls discovered in the Middle Atlas Mountains, south of Fez, Morocco.

Artist’s impression Tireosaurus atlasix. Image credit: Sci.News.

Tireosaurus atlasix lived in North Africa during the middle Jurassic period, about 165 million years ago.

This species is closely related to Dakentrulus members of the clade Dacenturinae within the Tyreophoran dinosaur family Stegosauridae.

Dr. Mostafa Oukas of Casablanca’s Universidad Hassan II and his colleagues said, “Thireophora is a diverse clade of herbivorous ornithischians consisting of stegosaurs, sclerosaurs, and basal types.”

“Thyleophorans have an extensive fossil record spanning from the Early Jurassic to the Late Cretaceous and are best known from well-preserved specimens from Laurasia.”

“In contrast, fossil remains are poorly known in Gondwana, and most of them are partial,” the researchers added.

“In Africa, thyreophorans may have been present since the Early Middle Jurassic.”

“Stegosaur body fossils have been recorded from the Middle Jurassic of Morocco, the Late Jurassic of Tanzania, and the Early Cretaceous of South Africa.”

“African ankylosaurs are represented by Spicomerus afar from Morocco during the Middle Jurassic period.”

divided partial skeleton Tireosaurus atlasix found in gray marl. El Mars III formation is located in the northern part of the Bourafa region near Bourmane, in the Atlas region of central Morocco.

“In 2021, during a geological mapping mission south of Bourmane, we discovered a new site rich in dinosaur remains in the El Mars III Formation,” the paleontologists said.

“This site, named Bourafa North, is located north of the Bourafa quarry.”

“This material was collected during several consecutive field trips and consists of the posterior skull of a stegosaur, including dorsal vertebrae and ribs, limb bones, and skin armor.”

According to the team: Tireosaurus atlasix had a strange asymmetrical skin armor, unique among stegosaurs.

“Dermal armor is Tireosaurus atlasix “It is composed of up to 4 cm (1.6 in) thick bone oval to subrectangular shaped osteoderms,” ​​the researchers said.

“The asymmetrical texture of the sides, with one side roughly decorated with small holes and strands of fibers and the other with a distinct cross-hatch pattern, is unlike anything previously observed in other stegosaurs and sclerosaurs. It’s clearly different.”

“The bone histology of these osteoderms is reminiscent of the histology of stegosaur tail spines.”

“These osteoderms are interpreted to have been placed in a lying position on the animal’s body, rather than in an upright position.”

Tireosaurus atlasix was estimated to be over 6 meters (19.7 feet) long.

“The axial features indicate that this specimen belongs to a medium- to large-sized stegosaur,” the scientists said.

“The holotype corresponds to an adult individual that has not yet reached its maximum body size.”

discovery of Tireosaurus atlasix is important in understanding the evolutionary history of stegosaurs and other thyreophora dinosaurs.

“Recent discoveries are adraticrit and Tireosaurus atlasix “We provide insight into the early evolution of stegosaurs during the Middle Jurassic of Africa,” the authors concluded.

of findings appear in the diary Gondwana research.

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Omar Zafati other. 2024. A new stegosaur dinosaur (Ornithischian: Thyreophora) with prominent cutaneous armor that lived during the Middle Jurassic period of North Africa. Gondwana research 131: 344-362; doi: 10.1016/j.gr.2024.03.009

Source: www.sci.news