PubHawk
December 2021 PMID 34556830

Bizarre dermal armour suggests the first African ankylosaur.

Susannah C R Maidment, Sarah J Strachan, Driss Ouarhache, Torsten M Scheyer, Emily E Brown, Vincent Fernandez, Zerina Johanson, Thomas J Raven, Paul M Barrett

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Mentions

218
Peak: 9 in Sep 2021
across 6 sources since Sep 2021

Extended reach

250,527
potential audience

Total likes

4,382

Video views

101,858

Mentions per month

Sep 2021 – Sep 2025

Where it's discussed

  • News178 articles
  • X / Twitter15 posts
  • Blogs15 articles
  • Facebook4 posts
  • YouTube3 videos
  • Reddit3 posts

AI synopsis

What people are saying

The discussions consistently praise the research, with phrases like 'bizarre dermal armor' and 'oldest in the world,' emphasizing its rarity and importance, while some commenters highlight the evolutionary implications by calling it 'an important gap' in the fossil record. The tone ranges from enthusiastic to analytical, reflecting a shared recognition of the discovery's significance.

AgreementStrong agreement

Most discussions strongly praise the discovery, emphasizing its significance for paleontology and confirming the importance of the findings.

InterestHigh interest

Many posts express high interest by highlighting the novelty and implications of the discovery for dinosaur diversity and evolution.

EngagementModerate engagement

Posts show engagement by referencing specific details like the fused dermal armor and the age of the fossils, indicating deeper consideration.

ImpactHigh impact

The discussions suggest the discovery could reshape understanding of dinosaur distribution and evolution in Africa, demonstrating high potential influence.

Abstract in brief

  • The text describes the discovery of the earliest known ankylosaur from Africa, named Spicomellus afer, from the Middle Jurassic period in Morocco, which shows unique dermal armor fused to a rib.
  • Ankylosauria is a group of heavily armored dinosaurs that mostly lived in what is now North America, Europe, and Asia, with very few fossils found in Africa or other southern continents.
  • This discovery highlights the surprising diversity and evolutionary history of armored dinosaurs, suggesting there are many undiscovered fossils in Gondwanan regions like Africa.]
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Top posts

Most liked on X and Bluesky
NatureEcoEvo
@NatureEcoEvo · X

Bizarre dermal armour suggests the first African ankylosaur https://t.co/jY5PyZzgg0 @Tweetisaurus https://t.co/CqmPtPFLaS

Sep 24, 2021 · 37 likes · 9 shares · 42,199 followers View post →
Jason Gilchrist
@jgilchrist13 · X

@_LTBuck @Tweetisaurus @LJMU @NHM_London @travenn @NHMdinolab Bizarre dermal armour suggests the first African ankylosaur. Oldest in world Spicomellus afer Armour spines fused into ribs @Tweetisaurus et al 2021 #ankylosaur #dinosaur #dinosaurs #fossils #paleontology #paleontology #Morocco #Africa #Spicomellusafer

Feb 28, 2023 · 4 likes · 2 shares · 2,680 followers View post →
B i y o t e k n o l o j i
@Biyoteknolojitr · X

Bilim insanları, kaburgalarından çıkıntı yapan "tuhaf" kemikli sivri uçlara sahip yeni bir dinozor türü keşfetti ve bu gelişmenin "evrimdeki önemli bir boşluğu" dolduracağını söyledi.

Oct 9, 2021 · 2 likes · 2,830 followers View post →
PaleoGalli
@TwitiGalli · X

Armadura dérmica bizarra sugere o primeiro anquilossauro africano https://t.co/FShObLGb6I #Paleontologypaper #Ankylosauria #Spicomellus

Sep 23, 2021 · 2 likes · 1,709 followers View post →
TheTweetOfRhea
@TheTweetOfRhea · X

"Bizarre dermal armour suggests the first African ankylosaur | Nature Ecology & Evolution" https://t.co/wCVlN3XSe2

Sep 25, 2021 · 44,249 followers View post →
NatureEcoEvo
@NatureEcoEvo · X

RT @NatureEcoEvo: Bizarre dermal armour suggests the first African ankylosaur https://t.co/jY5PyZzgg0 @Tweetisaurus https://t.co/CqmPtPFLaS

Sep 25, 2021 · 9 shares · 42,199 followers View post →

All mentions

ｶﾞｲｽ
@shitake_reverse · X

RT @NatureEcoEvo: Bizarre dermal armour suggests the first African ankylosaur https://t.co/jY5PyZzgg0 @Tweetisaurus https://t.co/CqmPtPFLaS

May 10, 2023 · 9 shares · 3,458 followers View post →
Thomas Clarke-Williams
@Thomas_cw_dino · X

RT @jgilchrist13: @_LTBuck @Tweetisaurus @LJMU @NHM_London @travenn @NHMdinolab Bizarre dermal armour suggests the first African ankylosaur…

Feb 28, 2023 · 2 shares · 150 followers View post →
Jason Gilchrist
@jgilchrist13 · X

RT @jgilchrist13: @_LTBuck @Tweetisaurus @LJMU @NHM_London @travenn @NHMdinolab Bizarre dermal armour suggests the first African ankylosaur…

Feb 28, 2023 · 2 shares · 2,680 followers View post →
Jason Gilchrist
@jgilchrist13 · X

@_LTBuck @Tweetisaurus @LJMU @NHM_London @travenn @NHMdinolab Bizarre dermal armour suggests the first African ankylosaur. Oldest in world Spicomellus afer Armour spines fused into ribs @Tweetisaurus et al 2021 #ankylosaur #dinosaur #dinosaurs #fossils #paleontology #paleontology #Morocco #Africa #Spicomellusafer

Feb 28, 2023 · 4 likes · 2 shares · 2,680 followers View post →
GBIF Dodo
@GBIFDodo · X

New CHECKLIST dataset: Bizarre dermal armour suggests the first African ankylosaur https://t.co/o6sc7VKIXz

Jan 12, 2022 · 419 followers View post →
B i y o t e k n o l o j i
@Biyoteknolojitr · X

Bilim insanları, kaburgalarından çıkıntı yapan "tuhaf" kemikli sivri uçlara sahip yeni bir dinozor türü keşfetti ve bu gelişmenin "evrimdeki önemli bir boşluğu" dolduracağını söyledi.

Oct 9, 2021 · 2 likes · 2,830 followers View post →
TheTweetOfRhea
@TheTweetOfRhea · X

"Bizarre dermal armour suggests the first African ankylosaur | Nature Ecology & Evolution" https://t.co/wCVlN3XSe2

Sep 25, 2021 · 44,249 followers View post →
NatureEcoEvo
@NatureEcoEvo · X

RT @NatureEcoEvo: Bizarre dermal armour suggests the first African ankylosaur https://t.co/jY5PyZzgg0 @Tweetisaurus https://t.co/CqmPtPFLaS

Sep 25, 2021 · 9 shares · 42,199 followers View post →
Danielle Oberg, PhD (they/them)
@Queen_Talpini · X

RT @NatureEcoEvo: Bizarre dermal armour suggests the first African ankylosaur https://t.co/jY5PyZzgg0 @Tweetisaurus https://t.co/CqmPtPFLaS

Sep 24, 2021 · 9 shares · 837 followers View post →
evomorphpapers
@evomorph_papers · X

Bizarre dermal armour suggests the first African ankylosaur https://t.co/TzPqbkXjXh

Sep 24, 2021 · 44 followers View post →
ไดโนเสาร์สายลับ
@saurianboy · X

RT @NatureEcoEvo: Bizarre dermal armour suggests the first African ankylosaur https://t.co/jY5PyZzgg0 @Tweetisaurus https://t.co/CqmPtPFLaS

Sep 24, 2021 · 9 shares · 975 followers View post →
Ivan Kwan
@Varanussalvator · X

RT @NatureEcoEvo: Bizarre dermal armour suggests the first African ankylosaur https://t.co/jY5PyZzgg0 @Tweetisaurus https://t.co/CqmPtPFLaS

Sep 24, 2021 · 9 shares · 1,431 followers View post →
NatureEcoEvo
@NatureEcoEvo · X

Bizarre dermal armour suggests the first African ankylosaur https://t.co/jY5PyZzgg0 @Tweetisaurus https://t.co/CqmPtPFLaS

Sep 24, 2021 · 37 likes · 9 shares · 42,199 followers View post →
PaleoGalli
@TwitiGalli · X

Armadura dérmica bizarra sugere o primeiro anquilossauro africano https://t.co/FShObLGb6I #Paleontologypaper #Ankylosauria #Spicomellus

Sep 23, 2021 · 2 likes · 1,709 followers View post →
fernanda castano
@ferwen · X

Bizarre dermal armour suggests the first African ankylosaur | Nature Ecology & Evolution https://t.co/yN57biTeQp

Sep 23, 2021 · 2,691 followers View post →