A rare fossil of an armored ankylosaur dinosaur, uncovered in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, is offering new insight into the early evolution of this distinctive group of plant-eating dinosaurs. The discovery includes some of the most elaborate natural defenses ever found in a Jurassic species.
The partial skeleton was unearthed near Boulemane and dates back around 165 million years. Identified as Spicomellus, the dinosaur is now recognized as the oldest known member of the ankylosaur family.
Though not the largest of its kind—measuring roughly 13 feet long and weighing up to two tons—it displayed unusually complex armor features that set it apart from any known species, living or extinct.
The rare ankylosaur dinosaur fossil includes spiked ribs, a bony neck collar with long protruding spines, and evidence of a possible tail weapon. Paleontologists believe the combination of sharp defensive structures and elaborate display features suggests this dinosaur used its armor both to deter predators and potentially to attract mates.
Elaborate armor suggests a dual purpose
Richard Butler, a vertebrate paleontologist at the University of Birmingham, noted that the neck spikes alone reached nearly three feet in length and likely formed a protective ring around the dinosaur’s neck. He said the armor was not only defensive but surprisingly extravagant, far beyond what would be expected solely for protection.
Susannah Maidment, lead author of the study and researcher at the Natural History Museum in London, explained that modern animals with similarly impractical features—such as deer antlers or peacock feathers—often evolve them for display during courtship or to assert dominance.
A study in @Nature shows that the earliest known ankylosaurs had uniquely elaborate body armour, including a spiky ornament on their tail. https://t.co/H63HT9TQoB pic.twitter.com/ki0Fy62mmT
— Nature Portfolio (@NaturePortfolio) August 28, 2025
She suggested Spicomellus may have developed its elaborate spikes for similar reasons, even if they were difficult to manage in dense vegetation.
Though the skull was missing, the preserved bones revealed other key features, including fused vertebrae near the tail. This points to the presence of a tail club or spiked weapon, though it was not found with the remains.
Such vertebrae have previously been associated only with later ankylosaurs, suggesting these tail weapons appeared 30 million years earlier than previously thought.
The oldest known species may be the most complex
Ankylosaurs and their close relatives, stegosaurs, first appeared during the Jurassic period. But while stegosaurs vanished before the Cretaceous ended, ankylosaurs persisted until the asteroid impact 66 million years ago.
Spicomellus also challenges the common idea that early species in dinosaur groups were simpler in form.
In fact, Butler said the oldest ankylosaur discovered so far has the most elaborate armor of all, which may reflect a shift over time from display to defense as predator threats increased.
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