Bigger Than T. Rex is a National Geographic Special Science Documentary hosted by Craig Sechler and broadcast in PBS NOVA in 2014.
Plot[]
German paleontologist Nizar Ibrahim follows the trail of fossil poaching in North Africa, leading to his revolutionary discovery of additional material attributed to Spinosaurus aegyptiacus. Using traits of related spinosaurids and modern crocodilians, along with input from paleontologist Paul Sereno, Nizar pieces together what Spinosaurus may have looked like.
Dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals[]
- Spinosaurus (main dinosaur)
- Aegyptosaurus
- Bahariasaurus
- Carcharodontosaurus
- Rebbachisaurus
- Onchopristis
- Ouranosaurus (Seen briefly as a carcass next to the Carcharodontosaurus)
- Paralititan
- Sarcosuchus (Briefly seen)
- Suchomimus
- Tyrannosaurus rex
Scientific Inaccuracies and Outdated Material[]
- The Spinosaurus' quadrupedal stance is now outdated. Instead of the knuckle-walking, a finger/palm quad walking or biped stance is much more likely.
- In 2020, studies have found that the animal had a long flat paddle-like tail rather than a normal theropod tail, which makes this design portrayed outdated.
- The title has fallen out of favor and is wrong. Spinosaurus may have been taller and longer than Tyrannosaurus rex, but the Tyrant Lizard was a few tons heavier, making it, so far, the largest theropod dinosaur known, and by extension, the largest terrestrial carnivore ever to live on the planet rather than Spinosaurus. In addition, depending on the specimen, it is far outclassed by several other theropods.
- Sarcosuchus didn't live at the same time as Spinosaurus. The same applies for Suchomimus. While both predators and Spinosaurus lived in the same place, it was at different times, thus both would have never met.
Gallery[]
As seen briefly.
As seen in the Nova National Geographic Special.
Trivia[]
- At the beginning of the documentary, There’s a Segment Stock Footage of the 1998 20 minute National Geographic Documentary “Colossal Claw” with the skeleton of Suchomimus.
- Carcharodontosaurus uses a slightly modified version of the Mapusaurus model from the BBC Documentary Planet Dinosaur. Spinosaurus' model is also quite similar, but with the more rectangular sail.
- The sequence with the Sarcosuchus & the Carcharodontosaurus fighting over the young Sauropod is a little similar to the episode New Giants of Planet Dinosaur.