Spicomellus afer Nothosaurus commonly known as thunderbirds

commonly known as thunderbirds

its long skull

trapping it with its powerful claws and using its strength to overpower its prey

2 meters (4 feet) long

Spicomellus afer Nothosaurus commonly known as thunderbirdsSpicomellus afer is an ankylosaur dinosaur discovered in Morocco and first described in 2021, which has become one of the most remarkable finds in recent paleontology. It is the oldest known ankylosaur to date, with an estimated age of around 165 million years , dating back to the Middle Jurassic, making it also the first representative of this group documented in Africa. The name Spicomellus afer means African spiny collar, a direct reference to this