Life in Water Ibrahim imagined the Spinosaurus hunting like a large bird. It snapped up fish in its toothy mouth. Now, scientists think that living in


water helped this dinosaur survive. It didn’t have to compete with other dinosaurs for food. T at’s how it could live near other large predators.


Spinosaurus’ wide, back feet may have been webbed.


Making a Model Scientists had always thought that Spinosaurus spent its time on land. T en Ibrahim created his model. Now, Ibrahim made a diff erent conclusion. He felt that this dinosaur spent most of its time in water. Spinosaurus probably had webbed


back feet that helped it swim. Its long tail may have helped move it through the water. T is dinosaur had high nostrils.


T at let it keep most of its head under the water when it hunted and still breathe. Its sharp, front claws helped it tear apart food.


22 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER


Questions Remain Ibrahim still wonders about the sail, though. He thinks the sail may have been a warning sign. T e large sail would have stuck out of the water. It could have warned others to stay away when Spinosaurus was feeding. Ibrahim has more questions. Some


of his questions seem impossible to answer. Yet Ibrahim keeps digging. He is determined to answer them.


conclusion: an opinion formed after careful research and thinking


experiment: a test used to fi nd or prove something


hypothesis: an idea that has not been proved


method: a step-by-step plan to fi nd out if an idea is true or not


observe: to gather information by looking at something closely

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