Spinosaurids as 'subaqueous foragers' undermined by selective sampling and problematic statistical inference

Abstract

Fabbri et al.1 claim that the huge sail-backed dinosaur Spinosaurus aegyptiacus and the spinosaurid Baryonyx were "subaqueous foragers," diving underwater in pursuit of prey, based on their measure of bone "compactness." Using thin-sections and computed tomographic (CT) scans of thigh bone (femur) and trunk rib from various living and extinct vertebrates, they claim to be able to distinguish taxa with "aquatic habits" from others. Their conclusions are undermined by selective bone sampling, inaccuracies concerning spinosaurid bone structure, faulty statistical inferences, and novel redefinition of the term "aquatic."