Bizarre ankylosaur with giant neck spikes redefines dinosaur evolution

Spicomellus afer, a newly analyzed Jurassic ankylosaur from Morocco, is overturning scientists’ understanding of dinosaur evolution. Unlike any other known creature, it carried a collar of meter-long spikes fused directly to its ribs, along with an early form of tail weaponry that predates similar adaptations by over 30 million years. These bizarre features suggest its armor may have been used for show as well as protection, before shifting toward defense in later ankylosaurs.