Ibrahimworksslowlyand carefully.
OntheTrail
Itwascrazy.Ibrahimknewthat.
Five yearshadpassed.Hedidn’tknowthefossilhunter’snameoraddress.Allheknewwasthathehadamustache.Still,ifhecouldfindthefossilhunteragain,maybehecouldfindSpinosaurus.
IbrahimtraveledbacktothesmalltowninMorocco.Againstallodds,hebeganhissearch.Dayswentbywithoutsuccess.Ibrahim’sspiritssank.Thetaskseemed impossible.
OnhislastdayinMorocco,Ibrahimsatwithtwofriendsinasmallcafé,sippingtea.Suddenly,helookedup.Atallmanwearingwhitepassedbyhistable.Themanlookedfamiliar,andhehada mustache.
Ibrahimleapedupandchasedafterhim.Hecaughtuptothemanandlookedathisface.Itwasthefossilhunter!Now,ifonlythehunterwouldleadhimtothe fossils.
IbrahimwasledintothedeserttofindSpinosaurus.
IbrahimworkedwithateamtouncoverSpinosaurusbones.
Discovery!
ThemanwiththemustachelistenedcloselytoIbrahim.HeagreedtoleadIbrahimtotheplacewherehehadfoundthe fossils.
Thenextday,thetwomendroveashortdistanceintotheSahara.Theywouldhavetomaketherestofthetriponfoot.Theyclimbedasteepslope.Nearthetop,theyreachedasmallcave.Thiswaswherethefossilhunterhadbeen digging.
Ibrahimgentlypickedawayatsomeofthesandandrock.Withinminutes,hediscoveredseveralbones.Atlast,hehadfoundSpinosaurus!
BuildingtheBeast
Manylargedinosaursseemedtohavelivedinthisareaatthesametime.Weretheycompetingforthesameprey?HowwasSpinosaurusabletoliveamongotherbigpredators?Ibrahimbegantoforma hypothesis.
To prove it, he had to conduct an experiment andrecreateSpinosaurus. Hedidn’thaveallthepieces,buthehadenoughtogetstarted.His methodwastocreateadigitalmodelonacomputerbasedonwhathe knew.
Withotherscientists,hemadeaskinforhismodelskeleton.Now,hehadacompleteSpinosaurus.Itlookeddifferentfromalltheotherdinosaurshehad seen.
ThisSpinosaurusfootbonewasfoundatthedig site.
Spinosaurus’headwaslongand thin.
UntilIbrahimhadcreatedthismodel,scientistshadassumedthatSpinosaurusspentmostofitstimeonland.SeeingthewaythisdinosauractuallylookedmadeIbrahimrealizethatitprobablydidn’tspendmuchtime there.
Ibrahimmadeaconclusionthatthisdinosaurspentmostofitstimeinwater.Itslongtailmayhavehelpedpropelitthroughthewater.Spinosaurus probablyhadwebbedfeetthatitusedtopaddle.Highnostrilsallowedittokeepmostofitsheadunderwaterwhileithunted.ThisiswhySpinosauruscouldexistwiththeothermeat-eating dinosaurs.
MakingaModel
Spinosaurus’ neckandbodywerelongerthanthoseofotherdinosaurs.TheSpinosaurushadshorthindlegsandpowerfulforearms.Itsbackfeetwerewideandflat.ToIbrahim,theylookedlike paddles.
IbrahimstudiedSpinosaurus’skull.Ithadalongsnout,butitsnostrilswerehalfwayupthe skull.
Spinosaurus’ wide backfeetmayhavebeenwebbed,whichwouldhavehelpedit swim.