The Spinosaurus, Suchomimus, Baryonyx and Irritator are all saurischian Therapods that lived in the Cretaceous period in the Mesozoic era. They all have one thing in common, they are part of the Spinosaurid genus. Spinosaurus Aegypticus lived in North Africa, in Morocco, approximately 100 million years ago. It was 13 to 15 meters long and was 7 meters tall including the sail on its back. It weighed 10.5 tons. It fed on Onchopristis (8 metres long), who’s modern day relative is what we call the swordfish. The Spinosaurus was mostly a fish hunter and relied mainly on bodies of water such as rivers and streams for it’s supply of food. It fought against the similar Therapod called Carcharadontosaurus Saharicus. Suchomimus lived in Niger, Africa, approximately 112 million years ago. It was 11 meters long and was 3 tons. It’s diet was Piscivore (diet primarily consisting of fish) /Carnivore. It’s claws were a foot long and were used to catch fish, exactly like the Spinosaurus. The name Suchomimus means ‘Crocodile mimic ‘ and it also reflects it’s anatomy. It’s skull is quite similar to that of a modern day Crocodile. Baryonyx lived in the Cretaceous period of the Mesozoic era and lived between 125 and 130 million years ago. it was 10 metres long and was 1700 kg in weight. The name Baryonyx means 'Heavy Claw' and it was found in Dorking, Surrey, UK. It primarily, like most therapods of the age, ate ornithopods ( two legged, ornithiscian hipped herbivores)
Finally the 8 metre long Spinosaurid, the Irritator lived in the Cretaceous Period, weighing in at 1 tonne, 100 million years ago. Now, you’re probably wondering, ‘ why the weird name’, well that’s because the palaeontologists, who found the only known fossil of this creature went through a lot of trouble to remove plaster from the 80cm long exposed skull in Brazil, placed there by the amateurs who found it.
So after, this looooong description of the four main Spinosaurids, I hope that you now know, that just because they are the same species, doesn’t mean that their lives are the same. Some lived in Africa, some in Britain, some ate fish, some ate herbivores. Therefore, they are not the same!!