Overview

• The peer-reviewed paper details newly excavated Middle Jurassic fossils from near Boulemane, Morocco, confirming Spicomellus afer as the earliest known ankylosaur.
• Bony spikes were found fused to every rib and projecting outward, a configuration not seen in any other vertebrate, alongside a spiked cervical collar with elements up to 87 centimeters long.
• Fused tail vertebrae form a club-like ‘handle,’ indicating tail weaponry appeared roughly 30 million years earlier than previously documented in the group.
• Authors suggest the extravagant armour functioned primarily in display or sexual selection early in ankylosaur evolution, with later species shifting toward simpler, defensive armour.
• The remains were prepared and catalogued at the Dhar El Mahraz Faculty of Sciences in Fez, as researchers highlight local stewardship and concerns about illegal commercial digging at the site.