Researchers have uncovered a dinosaur fossil in Morocco, named Spicomellus, that lived approximately 165 million years ago on a coastal floodplain. This dinosaur is considered one of the most unusual and elaborately armored vertebrates ever discovered, featuring long bony spikes up to one meter in length and a distinctive tail weapon. The findings, published in the journal Nature, reveal that Spicomellus represents the earliest known ankylosaur with a unique form of body armor not seen in any other living or extinct vertebrate. In a separate discovery in Patagonia, Argentina, scientists identified fossils of a prehistoric carnivorous crocodile species, Kostensuchus atrox, which likely preyed on medium-sized dinosaurs around 70 million years ago. These discoveries are prompting a reevaluation of predator hierarchies and the diversity of ancient armored reptiles.