Irritator

Irritator Temporal range: Albian PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
An artist's illustration of Irritator challengeri
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Superorder:	Dinosauria
Order:	Saurischia
Suborder:	Theropoda
Family:	†Spinosauridae
Subfamily:	†Spinosaurinae
Genus:	†Irritator David Martill et al., 1996
Binomial name
†Irritator challengeri David Martill et al., 1996
Synonyms
Angaturama limai? (Kellner & Campos, 1996)

Irritator (meaning "Irritating") was a genus of spinosaurids, living during the early Cretaceous Brazil. It is estimated to be around 7.9 meters (26 feet) in length and around 1 metric ton. Like most spinosaurs, particularly the spinosaurinae subfamily The Irritator had a small back sail.

The main fossil piece is that of the skull, which bears a resemblance to that of Suchomimus tenerensis and Spinosaurus aegyptiacus.

The genus presumably be a synonym to the genus Angaturama. The only known species is Irritator challengeri.

Discovery

An informative bit about Irritator

The first fossil, a skull, was found in the possession of fossil poachers, who had artificially added more teeth and plastered it to get a better price. The scientists who bought the fossil were unaware of this, and thus it took the poor paleontologists hours and hours to bring the skull to it's former glory, which is how the genus got its name. They also found the fossil had been artificially elongated, adding to the irritation.

Irritator skull; neck anatomy. Credit: Miyess

The current fossil extraction point is not confirmed. After questioning the fossil dealers, they pointed to a village near Santana Do Cariri.  The skull is considered to be the most complete of any Spinosaur skull. The skull is approximately 83.8 centimeters (33 inches) in length. It possesses a Sagittal crest on its forehead. The teeth were most likely went through a continual tooth change, and were estimated to be up to 40 millimeters in length.

An Irritator's Skull

In 2004, parts of a spinal column were discovered in the Santana Formation, the same origin as the skull. They rose high to form a small sail, and because of this, were assigned to Irritator. Sail formations were also borrowed from the closely related Suchomimus which lived in Africa. 

Longer - slender snouted Crocodilian and Crocodylimorph species attributed to bear resembalance to Spinosaurid Skulls.

The fossil consists only of the front part of the head, which is characterized by the fact that it is very narrow and carries a premaxillary sagittal crest (although not seen much in popular media). In the premaxilla a broken-off tooth with partial tooth crown was recovered which corresponds to that of Irritator. Altogether the premaxilla had seven teeth; the third tooth was the largest. The fossil is kept today under the number USP GP/2T-5 in the University of São Paulo.

Angaturama ( Irritator ) skeletal and anatomical model. Credit: unknown

In 2018, Aureliano and colleagues presented a possible scenario for the food web of the Romualdo Formation. The researchers proposed that spinosaurines from the formation may have also preyed on terrestrial and aquatic crocodyliforms, same-species juveniles, turtles, and small to medium-sized dinosaurs. This would have made the spinosaurines apex predators within their ecosystem.

Santana Formation

Anatomical depiction of an Irritator Challenger hunting a large pterosaur.

The horizon of the Santana formation, in which both fossils were found, resulted with very high probability from sedimentation in a flat lake, which was filled with fresh or brackish water.

A pair of Irritator. Credit: ThePaleoLad

The fossil finds made so far create an ambivalent picture. The fossil insects which have been recovered are an indication for fresh water; the find of the turtle Santanachelys, which was adapted to seawaters, indicate a saltwater environment.

One theory is that the site was a brackish lagoon, which was connected to the sea. The climate was tropical and corresponded to today's climate in Brazil to a large extent.

Behavior & Diet

An Irritator challengeri catching a pterosaur by Tuomas Koivurinne

Irritator probably nourished itself on a wide variety of available prey items; hence it was the largest known theropod of its environment. The larger pterosaurs found in large number in the Santana formation; were more than likely in the menu of this particular theropod.

Irritator was quite probably, very similar to today's crocodiles, wader avians ( herons, egrets; skuas; petrels; jaegers; seagulls; larger species of pelicans; as well as the Shoebills ) and several ursid ( bear ) species a carnivorous food generalist, eating all other viable animals that it could catch besides but including larger species of fish and other aquatic vertabrae.

Angaturama limai ( Irritator challenger ) skeleton depicted hunting a larger pterosaur basing on fossil evidence

A tooth belonging to Irritator still inserted into a fossil neck vertebral column of a pterosaur, indicates that Irritator ate pterosaurs as well, although it is not known if it actively hunted these animals, or simply scavenged the remains.

• All known Spinosaurids had very narrow jaws with relatively homogeneous pointed teeth. This arrangement is particularly found in crocodilian species. The long conical teeth, which do not possess serrated edges, are suitable particularly to grabbing and holding of prey.

An Irritator hunting a Pterosaur. Credit: thalassoatrox

They noticeably differentiated from the teeth of other known theropods, which seemed geared towards tearing or cutting off seized body parts. Particularly with Irritator and Suchomimus tenerensis apparently share a true convergence with crocodilians is regularly discussed in the literature. Individual fossils belonging to the Spinosauridae were regarded in the past as crocodile fossils. For example, Baryonyx fossils from Portugal were originally described as Suchosaurus and only in 2007 were they recognized as those of a spinosaurid.

A pair of Irritator hunting amongst the flock of Pterosaurs. Credit: olmagon

The nostrils of Irritator were shifted far to the rear of the skull, and the secondary palate make respiration possible even if the majority of the jaw was under water or held prey. In particular, the sagittal crest of Irritator is an indication for a pronounced neck musculature, which would have been necessary in order to pull the jaw closed quickly against water resistance and withdraw the head fast. Sues et al. (2002) point out, however, that there would be no reason to assume that the Spinosauridae specialized completely in fishing; fossils present quite the opposite conditions in fact

Irritator challengeri mount

They stress rather that this head morphology indicates a generalistic feeding, particularly on small prey animals. In fact, portions of a young Iguanodon, a terrestrial herbivore, were found inside the fossil skeleton of one Baryonyx. Naish et al. (2004) support the theory that Irritator hunted both aquatic and terrestrial animals as a generalist within the coastal area and in addition probably also searched for carrion. One more thing for awhile the only part of skeleton that was found was a skull.

An Irritator attacking and hunting a Pterosaur. Credit: Mark Witton

To recite it more clearly; a tooth belonging to Irritator was discovered still inserted into the fossil neck vertebral column of a larger ornithocheirid pterosaur, likely with a wingspan of 3.3 m (11 ft). This indicates that Irritator ate larger species of pterosaurs as well, although it is not known if it actively hunted these animals or simply scavenged the remains.

An illustration of The Irritator shoreline / beach walking

In 2018, Aureliano and colleagues presented a possible scenario for the food web of the Romualdo Formation. The researchers proposed that spinosaurines from the formation may have additonally and opportunistically preyed on the terrestrial and aquatic crocodyliforms, same-species juveniles(!), larger species of turtles, as well as small to medium-sized dinosaurs. This would have made spinosaurines as the Dominant apex predators within their own ecosystem

Abilities and Ecology

An Irritator illustration. Credit: allotyrannosaurus

Its entirely unclear if this Spinosauridae Spinosaurinae prefered an entirely aquatic habitat; switched between semiaquatic habitats and terrestrial habitats; or more reliant on Terrestrial habitats due to lack of clarified research; unlike its larger cousins such as Spinosaurus and Suchomimus.

Irritator illustration. Credit: daitengu

One noticeable condition within Spinosauridae; however; is the fact that their brains show no identifiable, noticeable neither clarified differentiation from other theropods; specifically other Megalosauroidea.

Illustration Credit: bluegekko

The taken samples were from basal spinosaurids; belonging to Baryonychinae. The researchers cited this fact as: '' Despite their attributed to having an unusual ecology, it seems that the brains and senses of these early spinosaurs retained many aspects in common with other large-bodied theropods – there is no observable evidence that their semi-aquatic lifestyles are reflected in the way their brains are organized. ''

An Irritator laying in Ambush. Credit: Antonio R. Mihaila

A resting Irritator with unhinged mouth ( likely for cooling off ) credit: The New Artist GR

More research has officially put forth quite the conundrum and very interesting; perhaps unique facts about İrritator; perhaps all Spinosauridae ( Both Spinosaurinae and Baryonychinae subfamilies included ). The research concluded that The Irritator; could actually be capable of '' unhinge '' their jaws to a structure similar to Pelicans, Seagulls; Shoebills; or even some Modern snake species; such as larger boids and anacondas.

If this anatomical feature is truly validified; this would allow spinosaurids to shallow a wide variety of prey items; both aquatic and terrestrial; as a whole; without needing to chop most of their prey items into varied pieces.

• Similar to how modern equavilent animals with such jaw unhinging abilities such as several predatory wader avians ( such as Pelicans; Shoebills, Skuas. Jaegers. Herons; egrets and seagulls for example )and waterway traversing snakes ( semi aquatic Anacondas, other larger boid species like Phytons; even common snakes in general ) do it.

Other Wikis

• https://planetdinosaur.fandom.com/wiki/Irritator
• https://prehistoric-wiki.fandom.com/wiki/Irritator

In the Media

• Irritator made it’s 1st appearance in a couple episodes of the 2002 Animated Series, Adventures in sir arthur conan doyle's the lost world.

• A spinosaurid heavily resembling an Irritator appears in some concept art for The Land Before Time X: The Great Longneck Migration by Flammarion Ferreira. The creature does not appear in the final film's swamp scenes, instead only a Sarcosuchus appears as an antagonist.

• It probably appeared in Dinocroc vs Supergator where it was a hybrid of The South American Spinosaur Irritator & The Stratiosuchus from Brazil.

• Irritator also appeared in in the first episode of BBC's Planet Dinosaur only as a database. Show as one of the prime examples of proof that Spinosaurids were generalist carnivores and weren't obligatory piscivores as previously thought. One examination is The Spinosaurid tooth; likely belonged to an Irritator; found in a neck vertebra of a large South American Pterosaur; given as an example in the database of the documentary as a validation for rather generalist carnivore diet of the spinosaurids.

• Irritator can be created in Jurassic World: The Game as a rare carnivore. It has an error with its head. It has a form of horn or bump at the front of the snout when it should have a crest towards the back of its head.
• Irritator also appears in the mobile game, Jurassic World Alive, as a rare piscivore, and has a Gen 2 clone which is a Common dinosaur.

• Irritator was originally supposed to appear in Dinosaur Revolution but was ultimately cut.[130-90]