Spinosaurus fossil map
Where fossils of Spinosaurus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 100 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 100 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Theropods |
|---|---|
| Lived | 125.77–72.2 million years ago (Barremian to Campanian) |
| Periods | Cretaceous |
| Family | Spinosauridae |
| Named by | Stromer 1915 |
| Fossil records | 44 occurrences at 33 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Morocco, Egypt, Niger, Tunisia, Algeria, Kenya |
| Rock formations | txn:38595, Gara Sbaa, Ifezouane, Aïn el Guettar, Douira, Baharîje |
About Spinosaurus
Spinosaurus (; lit. 'spine lizard') is a genus of large spinosaurid theropod dinosaurs that lived in what is now North Africa during the Cenomanian age of the Late Cretaceous period, about 100 to 94 million years ago. The genus was known first from Egyptian remains discovered in 1912 and described by German palaeontologist Ernst Stromer in 1915. The original remains were destroyed in World War II, but additional material came to light in the early 21st century. It is unclear whether one or two species are represented in the fossils reported in the scientific literature. The type species, S. aegyptiacus, is mainly known from the Bahariya Formation in Egypt and the Kem Kem beds in Morocco. The other species, S. mirabilis, is known from the Farak Formation in Niger. Possible junior synonyms include Sigilmassasaurus and the dubious S. maroccanus from the Kem Kem beds and Oxalaia from the Alcântara Formation in Brazil, though the distinction and validity of these taxa have been debated.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Spinosaurus (revision 1378610680), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 22 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q130966.
