New study revealing evidence of salt glands in spinosaurs adds to the great “aquatic” debate

2026/06/16 by Jack A. Cooper · 1 voice
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Environmental Science · #Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology #Turtle Biology and Conservation #Ichthyology and Marine Biology

paper · pdf · doi:10.1080/08912963.2026.2686503

openalex publication_date 2026/06/16 · openalex created_date 2026/06/17 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22

Abstract

Spinosaurus, the giant 14 m theropod dinosaur known for its iconic sail-like neural spines on its back, sure has been in the news a lot lately. This recent attention has particularly focused on the...

Citations

• Tail-propelled aquatic locomotion in a theropod dinosaur
• Evaluating the ecology of Spinosaurus: shoreline generalist or aquatic pursuit specialist?
• Spinosaurus is not an aquatic dinosaur
• Scimitar-crested <i>Spinosaurus</i> species from the Sahara caps stepwise spinosaurid radiation

Discussions

• Our newest #SciComm editorial covers our recent publication identifying salt glands in spinosaurs, adding a whole new layer to the great "aquatic" debate. Read the editorial here: doi.org/10.1080/089 [bsky, 1 points, 0 comments]

Related

• Spinosaurus is not an aquatic dinosaur
• Evaluating the ecology of Spinosaurus: shoreline generalist or aquatic pursuit specialist?
• Scimitar-crested <i>Spinosaurus</i> species from the Sahara caps stepwise spinosaurid radiation
• Preliminary Study on the Reconstruction and Function of the Hyperelongate Neural Spines in the Dorsal Vertebrae of Deinocheirus mirificus (Theropoda: Ornithomimosauria)
• The lifestyle of <i>Spinosaurus</i>