Spicomellus Afer: The Oldest Armored Dinosaur

By Burrows Maxwell

In 2021, a single rib with bizarre spikes surfaced from the deserts of Morocco. At first, paleontologists thought it was a mistake-too strange to be real. But the fossil proved authentic, and in 2025, new finds revealed the full story: Spicomellus afer, the world's oldest armored dinosaur. With spikes fused directly to its ribs, a neck collar bristling with 87-centimeter spines, and hints of a deadly tail weapon, this Jurassic oddity defied everything we thought we knew about dinosaur evolution.

Spicomellus afer is more than a fossil-it's a time machine that rewrites history. It shows that ankylosaurs, the iconic "living tanks" of the Cretaceous, began their armored experiments far earlier than scientists ever imagined. It challenges assumptions about survival, defense, and even beauty in the prehistoric world. And it cements Africa's rising role as a treasure house of paleontological discoveries.

This book takes readers on a journey from the fossil trade markets of Morocco to the halls of science, where skepticism gave way to awe. Along the way, it explores:

How Spicomellus's armor broke evolutionary rules.

Why its spikes may have been used for both defense and display.

The earliest evidence of ankylosaur tail weaponry.

How Africa's fossil record is reshaping the global story of dinosaurs.

Why each new discovery forces us to rethink the history of life on Earth.

Vivid, fast-paced, and deeply researched, Spicomellus Afer: The Oldest Armored Dinosaur tells the story of a creature so strange it was first dismissed as fake-until it became an icon.

Step into the Jurassic. Meet the punk-rock dinosaur that changed paleontology forever.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0FQ286S95
• ISBN13: 9798263957865
• Release Date: September 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 86 Pages
• Weight: 0.28 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 6.0" x 9.0"