Dinosaur
Spicomellus
The species Spicomellus afer was scientifically described in 2021.
Spicomellus became known for a rib with armor attached to it.
Three stages. One companion.
Game artwork
AI-generated, stylized game illustrations. These designs and growth stages are imaginative, not scientific reconstructions.
Spicomellus at a glance
- Diet
- Herbivore
- A plant-based diet is inferred from its anatomy and comparisons with related animals; not all herbivores ate the same plants.
- When it lived
- Jurassic
- Group
- Ankylosauria
- Ankylosaurs
- Fossil locations
- Morocco
- Places where fossils have been found
Beyond the game
The real Spicomellus
The first description was based on a rib with fused armor. Additional remains described in 2025 revealed an extraordinary arrangement of spines, greatly expanding the reconstruction of the animal.
The species Spicomellus afer was scientifically described in 2021. The additional remains greatly expanded that initial image and showed an extraordinary distribution of spines. It is a clear case of how a new discovery can transform what seemed like a barely known animal.
Ankylosaurs developed bony armor in their skin. Some lineages had a tail club and others did not; a club should not be added to every armored dinosaur.
Fossil discoveries
Selected fossil records · present-day map
Map references
Map: Natural Earth, public domain. Fossil records: linked collections and publications.A note on the science
The first description was based on a rib with fused armor. Additional remains described in 2025 revealed an extraordinary arrangement of spines, greatly expanding the reconstruction of the animal.
Sources & text credits
Explore the references behind this profile.
- Spicomellus afer
Wikipedia contributors · Spanish source
Educational text adapted and translated from this article by Wikipedia contributors. The revision link, when captured in the source catalogue, identifies the source version.
- Spicomellus
Wikipedia contributors · English source
Educational text adapted and translated from this article by Wikipedia contributors. The revision link, when captured in the source catalogue, identifies the source version.
- Ankylosauria
Wikipedia contributors · English source
Educational text adapted and translated from this article by Wikipedia contributors. The revision link, when captured in the source catalogue, identifies the source version.
- Living birds
Wikipedia contributors · English source
Educational text adapted and translated from this article by Wikipedia contributors. The revision link, when captured in the source catalogue, identifies the source version.
Educational text adapted in English from the existing Wikipedia-backed Dinosgacha catalogue and linked articles by Wikipedia contributors.
Existing English translations have been selected and arranged for this encyclopedia. Repeated period and diet text is omitted where those fields already carry it. Unknown facts remain unfilled; unreviewed geological age phrases are omitted and period labels replace numerical ages.
The adapted educational text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0. This text license does not apply to the game illustrations.