Jurᴀssic World Rebirth has included the long-awaited return of the mighty Spinosaurus, a dinosaur long absent from the series that stands to be able to truly redeem itself in the eyes of fans. The Spinosaurus was a spinosaurid theropod dinosaur that lived during the Cretacous period, known for its distinctive spinal ridges giving it its namesake.

The Spinosaurus has gone on quite a PR journey over the course of its career in the Jurᴀssic Park franchise, going from a despised upsetter to a fan-favorite underdog with that has officially redeemed itself in Jurᴀssic World Rebirth. To understand how the latest Jurᴀssic Park film was such a big win for the dinosaur, it’s necessary to trace the Spinosaurus’ legacy in the series.

Spinosaurus Was The Villain Of Jurᴀssic Park III

Garnering Itself An Infamous Reputation

The Spinosaurus first appeared in Jurᴀssic Park III, acting as something of a main villain. After chasing the returning Dr. Alan Grant, the Spinosaurus finds itself in a brutal battle for dominance against the franchise’s poster dinosaur, the powerful Tyrannosaurus Rex. Infamously, the newcomer Spinosaurus actually wins this fight, killing the T. Rex.

For a time, the Spinosaurus was considered to be something of a heel for the series following this kill. Some viewers expressed doubt that a Spinosaurus would ever have a realistic chance of beating a T. Rex, and the creature’s loss seems almost humiliating as the Spinosaurus lands the killing blow with its forelimbs, almost mocking the T. Rex’s useless tiny arms.

Paleontology Has Not Been Kind To Spinosaurus Since 2001

Research Makes The Fearsome Predator Seem Less Impressive

Whatever its feared and lothsome reputation after Jurᴀssic Park III, the Spinosaurus hasn’t had an easy time since in the dinosaur community. Not only has the creature not appeared in a mainline Jurᴀssic Park movie since 2001, but real-world paleontology has not been kind to the beast. An infamous 2014 paper found that Spinosaurus wasn’t so fearsome.

According to paleontologist Nizar Ibrahim in his paper Semiaquatic adaptations in a giant predatory dinosaur, Spinosaurus wouldn’t have towered over humans like the T. Rex, instead being much more of a squat swimmer. This would go on to be a devastating blow to the Spinosaurus’ appeal to dinosaur lovers.

Ibrahim took it a step further in 2020, suggesting that Spinosaurus wasn’t only primarily a swimmer, but reliant on its tail for mobility in his paper Tail-Propelled Aquatic Propulsion in a Theropod Dinosaur. Since then, the dinosaur community has lamented the loss in perceived power the beast has suffered as a result.

After these two papers, jokes began to circulate about the Spinosaurus’ continuous “nerfs”, with old artwork depicting Spinosaurus as a floundering sea-lion-like creature complete with the small trunk of an elephant seal, beginning to circulate. These ideas, affectionately nicknamed the “Spinofaarus”, continued to lower the public perception of the Spinosaurus’ power.

The Spinosaurus Has Gone From Villainous T-Rex Killer To Underdog Fan Favorite

New Research Has Changed The Spinosaurus’ Outlook

Following Nizar Ibrahim’s research, the Spinosaurus has seen a dramatic change in perception from the Jurᴀssic Park fandom. Once a feared and despised newcomer that dethroned the mighty T. Rex as the apex predator of the franchise in a powerful upset, the prehistoric animal has been reduced to a blubbering fish-eater reliant on the water to survive.

Everyone loves an underdog, and it’s safe to say that, since 2001, the Spinosaurus has officially become one. Our understanding of prehistoric creatures and how they operated is always changing with new evidence, and this can heavily alter the perception of who is the most powerful dinosaur in the Jurᴀssic Park series.

Whereas once the Spinosaurus likely had more people rooting against it than it had fans, the prehistoric predator is now closer to a champion of the people. Long has the T. Rex ruled as the face of the franchise and the most popular dinosaur in the world, a тιтle that becomes stale the longer it’s held by one animal.

How Jurᴀssic World Rebirth Redeems The Spinosaurus

Marrying New Research With Old Power

Barring an appearance as a major villain in the animated series Jurᴀssic World: Camp Cretacous, a Spinosaurus had yet to return to a mainline Jurᴀssic Park or Jurᴀssic World project in over two decades up to now. Though the creature had multiple planned appearances in films over the years, it was always cut from the final product, showing up as a skeleton at best.

At long last, Jurᴀssic World Rebirth has seen long-awaited return of the Spinosaurus. Here, the creature has been restored to its former glory, terrorizing large prey like human-piloted vessels rather than freshwater fish. After all, the Jurᴀssic Park series has never been accurate when it comes to its dinosaur depictions.

In Jurᴀssic World Rebirth, the Spinosaurus seems to take some inspiration from the new research, portraying the Spinosaurus with a shorter neck as its signature tail cuts across the surface like the Jaws shark’s infamous dorsal fin. However, it still has the large forelimbs that made it a terror in Jurᴀssic Park III.

It’s amazing to see the mighty Spinosaurus being portrayed as a true threat again, considering the shifting atтιтudes on the river-dwelling hunter and the overused theropod terror. The Spinosaurus has endeared itself to become much more than a despised usurper of the T. Rex’s throne, and its latest appearance in Jurᴀssic World Rebirth proves as much.

Sources: Science.org, The Havard Gazette