Yale Study Reveals Spinosaurus Was Primarily Aquatic

Yale researchers used machine learning on thousands of fossil measurements to reassess the lifestyle of the theropod Spinosaurus. Their analysis indicates that the dinosaur spent the majority of its life submerged, challenging the long‑held view that it was primarily terrestrial. The study also shows that several ancient marine reptiles, once believed to be fully aquatic, actually spent significant time on land. By quantifying limb proportions and bone density, the team could infer buoyancy and locomotion patterns. The findings suggest that Spinosaurus evolved specialized adaptations for an aquatic niche, while other reptiles retained more versatile, semi‑aquatic habits. This new perspective refines the evolutionary narrative of dinosaur‑to‑marine transitions and informs comparative studies of modern aquatic predators.