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Spicomellus afer was an ankylosaur that lived in what is now Morocco more than 165 million years ago. Its fossils preserve spikes fused directly to bones, including its ribs. A fused section of its tail may indicate a tail club or similar weapon, but the tail tip—and any club itself—has not been found.
What was Spicomellus?
Spicomellus afer was an armored ankylosaur from the Middle Jurassic, found near Boulemane in Morocco. It is described as the oldest known ankylosaur. The species was first identified in 2021 from a single rib; fossils recovered in a 2023 excavation later revealed far more of its unusual armor. The University of Birmingham dates it to more than 165 million years ago, while the Natural History Museum gives the rounded age of 165 million years. University of Birmingham; Natural History Museum
How were its spikes fused to its bones?
Many ankylosaur armor plates are understood as structures embedded in the skin. Spicomellus is striking because its bony spikes were fused directly to bones, including the ribs. The University of Birmingham account says spikes projected from all of its ribs. This is not just a reconstruction of spikes sitting over the body: the reported fossil evidence includes spikes attached to the rib bones themselves. University of Birmingham
What did its armor look like?
The recovered remains indicate an elaborate arrangement rather than a single row of spikes. Researchers describe an unusual collar around the neck, large spikes over the hips, blade-like armor along the sides, and a shield over the pelvis and sacrum. The largest preserved neck spikes measure 87 centimetres, according to the Natural History Museum. Researchers think the living spikes may have extended farther, possibly with keratin sheaths, but that greater length is a reconstruction: the preserved measurement is 87 centimetres.
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Among ankylosaurs, this arrangement is unusually elaborate. The Natural History Museum contrasts it with the armor of later ankylosaurs, which appears more defensive, and suggests display may have played a role in Spicomellus. That is an evolutionary interpretation, not proof that all the structures had one purpose. Natural History Museum
Did Spicomellus have a tail club?
Possibly—but no intact club has been recovered. The end of the tail is missing. Some of the preserved tail vertebrae are fused into a structure called a “handle.” The Natural History Museum reports that this kind of handle has been found only in ankylosaurs with tail clubs. On that basis, researchers suggest Spicomellus may have carried a club or a similar tail weapon.
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The distinction matters: the fused vertebrae are fossil evidence; a club at the tail tip is an inference. The University of Birmingham says the proposed weapon would be more than 30 million years earlier than other ankylosaur tail weapons in its comparison. That makes Spicomellus the earliest known evidence in that comparison, not proof that no earlier animal ever evolved one. The fossil record is incomplete, and the tail tip of this individual was not found. University of Birmingham
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why did it have such extraordinary armor?
The answer is uncertain. The research team proposes that the display could have helped attract mates or signal to rivals. The Natural History Museum notes that carrying so much armor may have been energetically costly and could have restricted movement; researchers have little idea how the animal moved. These are proposed explanations and open questions, not established details of its behavior.
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Professor Susannah Maidment, a co-lead of the research at the Natural History Museum and University of Birmingham, said the find changes understanding of how ankylosaurs evolved and highlights the importance of Africa’s dinosaurs. The study announcement reports that the paper, “Extreme armour in the world’s oldest ankylosaur,” appeared in Nature. University of Birmingham
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