Baryonyx

Name meaning:Heavy claw

Time Period: Hauterivian to the Barremian (Early Cretaceous)

Locations: La Rioja-Spain|Portugal-Papo Seco Formation|England-Weald Clay Formation

Taxonomy: Theropoda-Spinosauridae-Baryonychinae

Subspecies: B. walkeri

Characteristics ~ ~ ~ ~

Baryonyx is estimated to be between 25 to 33 feet long and weighted around 2600 and 4,400 pounds. Each arm was strong and developed, facing inwards with a single enlarged claw on each hand that can reach 31 centimeters long, as a comparison the largest Grizzly bear claws that can only reach 11 centimeters. They were used for most of the same ways as bears, swiping fish out of the water and for combat. Baryonyx had a long narrow skull with 95 sharp serrated teeth meant for catching slippery prey and oriented like a gharial. Baryonyx is presumed to have hunted similar to a herein standing by the water’s edge and waiting for fish to pass by its mouth as it does not have many aquatic adaptations. Baryonyx is the only theropod to have fossilized evidence of piscivory, with fossilized fish scales found in a specimen's stomach as well as juvenile Iguanodontid bones. Baryonyx lived in warm climate tropics with many lagoons and rivers, Mostly found in England could still hunt the other animals there if it could sink its teeth into them like Istiodactylus Hypsilophodon Mantellisaurus Valdosaurus and Iguanodon. But would have particularly avoided the armored Polacanthus and the larger predator Neovenator that was more adapted to terrestrial hunting than it and would have likely stolen carcasses from Baryonyx.

History & Fossils ~ ~ ~ ~

Found in 1983 in the Smoke jack Clay pit when William J. Walker found a large claw exposed from one of the clay rocks. Leading to the excavation of NHMUK VP R9951 a 70% complete Baryonyx and it still remains the most complete member of Spinosauridae. In a 1986 interview Alan J. Charig called Baryonyx "the best find of the century" because this specimen practically defined most of what's known about spinosaurid anatomy. The only two known Spinosaurids before Baryonyx were Suchosaurus from 1841 and Spinosaurus in 1914. Suchosaurus was just thought to be a crocodile and Spinosaurus was interpreted as being just like Tyrannosaurus with large spines.

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The family Spinosauridae is divided into two groups Baryonychinae and Spinosaurinae, they can all be Identified by their large arms and claws and long snouts. Baryonychinae contains Baryonyx and Ceratosuchopsins like Suchomimus and Ceratosuchops that were more terrestrial generalists. While animals from Spinosaurinae would generally contain the larger sail backed and rudder tailed animals like Spinosaurus, Irritator and Itchyovenator.

Media Deptictions ~ ~ ~ ~

Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom Its scene from the movie is bad and its design is abysmal. It has a broad snout and is covered in crocodile scutes. Jurassic world loves to be lazy when designing by adding crocodile scutes, they could have at least used Suchomimus instead since at least that is named the crocodile mimic and would make a little sense having an appearance that mimics crocodiles. The design made for the Jurassic world website is far superior in my opinon as it is more accurate, colorfull and expressive.