恐龍卡第 1698 張，共 2 027 張

Spicomellus

名字的意思： “spiked collar”1

吃：植物甲龍類侏羅紀中期

Spicomellus was an armoured dinosaur that walked on four legs and had a bulky body covered in spikes. It lived in Africa during the Middle Jurassic, about 167 to 163 million years ago, and was one of the earliest armoured dinosaurs ever found.1

生存年代

168 到 162 百萬年前6

侏羅紀中期

化石發現地

Morocco, in the El Mers III Formation of the Middle Atlas Mountains1 6

長度

3 到 4 m (9.8 到 13 ft)1

體重

907 kg 到 1.814 公噸 (2,000 到 4,000 lb)4

高度

1.2 m (3.9 ft)

估計值

最高速度

時速約 17 公里（11 英里）

跑步, 估計值

牠生活在什麼時候？

三疊紀

侏羅紀

白堊紀

2 億 5200 萬年前20114566，小行星撞地球

牠有多大？

牠有多長？

牠有多高？

估計值

牠有多重？

跟 1 台汽車一樣重

跟 4 隻狗從鼻子接到尾巴一樣長跟 22 根香蕉頭尾相接一樣長跟 91 隻狗一樣重跟 360 顆西瓜一樣重跟 95 個幼兒園小朋友一樣重跟 57 個小學生一樣重跟 4 隻北極熊一樣重能在 21 秒內跑完 100 公尺（最快的人類要 9.6 秒）

Spicomellus 跟「你」比起來有多大？

只是在你的瀏覽器裡算算數學。什麼都不會被儲存或傳送出去。

牠有多快？

走路的人 時速約 5 公里 (3 mph)

騎腳踏車的小朋友 時速約 12 公里 (7 mph)

Spicomellus 時速約 17 公里 (11 mph)

一匹飛奔的馬 時速約 65 公里 (40 mph)

一隻獵豹 時速約 100 公里 (62 mph)

酷東西

趣味知識

Spicomellus is the first and only ankylosaur ever found in Africa, and it is also the oldest ankylosaur known to science.1

Unlike most armoured dinosaurs, Spicomellus had spikes that fused directly to its rib bones. No other animal, living or extinct, has this feature.1 3

Its spikes were probably covered in keratin, the same substance that makes up your hair and fingernails, which would have made them even longer.1

Spicomellus had a bony 'handle' in its tail, a feature only seen in ankylosaurs that had a tail weapon. This suggests it had a spiked tail club, even though the weapon itself hasn't been found yet.1 2

Scientists used to think that tail weapons in ankylosaurs evolved only in the Cretaceous Period, but Spicomellus lived much earlier, in the Middle Jurassic. This shows that these features are older than expected.1 2

Spicomellus had a bony collar with metre-long spikes, which is why its name means 'spiked collar'.1

The spikes on its body may have been used for defence, but scientists think they were also used for display, to attract mates or compete with rivals.1 2

Spicomellus 的 AI 繪圖 — 這是電腦根據科學家目前的知識，用 AI 畫出 Spicomellus 可能的樣子。這只是猜測：真正的動物可能長得不一樣，也沒有人知道牠真正的顏色。

你們都在問

關於 Spicomellus 最常被問的問題

?How big was Spicomellus?

About 4 metres (13 feet) long, which is around the size of a small car.1

?What did Spicomellus eat?

It was an herbivore, meaning it ate plants.1

?Did Spicomellus have a tail club?

Scientists think so. It had a bony 'handle' in its tail that is only seen in ankylosaurs with a tail weapon, but the weapon itself has not been found yet.1 5

?Where did Spicomellus live?

It lived in what is now Morocco, Africa. Back then, the area was a wetland with lots of plants to eat.1

?When did Spicomellus live?

It lived during the Middle Jurassic Period, about 167 to 163 million years ago.1

?Was Spicomellus a dinosaur?

Yes, it was an armoured dinosaur called an ankylosaur.1

?How fast could Spicomellus run?

Nobody knows for sure. It walked on four legs and had a bulky body, so it probably moved slowly.1

迷思破解王

迷思： Some people think Spicomellus was a slow, simple plant-eater with no special tricks.

真相： Actually, Spicomellus had unique armour and a possible tail weapon, and its spikes may have been used for showing off as well as protection.1 2

給恐龍專家

學名: Spicomellus
命名者: Maidment et al. 20216
類群: 甲龍類
科 / 演化支: Ankylosauria6
分類: Ornithischia > Ankylosauria > Thyreophora6
岩石的年代: 168 到 162 百萬年 (Bathonian / Callovian)6
岩層: El Mers III6
國家: 摩洛哥6
化石紀錄: The Paleobiology Database 收錄 1 筆6
發現: Spicomellus was named by Maidment and colleagues in 2021, based on a partial skeleton from Morocco. The first fossil was a rib with spikes, and later more bones were found, including a bony collar.1 3
仍有爭議: Scientists are still debating exactly how Spicomellus is related to other ankylosaurs, and whether its tail weapon was a club or just spikes.2