Extreme armour in the world's oldest ankylosaur Supplementary Material

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Paper Summary

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Spiky Dinosaur Shows Off Early Armor: New Ankylosaur Fossil From Morocco!

This supplementary material provides a detailed anatomical description of new fossil material attributed to the early ankylosaur *Spicomellus afer* from the Middle Jurassic of Morocco. The fossil material includes a partial skeleton with unique "T"-shaped dorsal ribs bearing co-ossified dermal spikes, an elaborate cervical half-ring, and other armor elements. Phylogenetic analyses place *Spicomellus* as an early-diverging ankylosaur, suggesting early development of dermal armor.

Possible Conflicts of Interest

None identified.

Identified Weaknesses

Limited fossil material and complex phylogeny

The phylogenetic placement of *Spicomellus* remains somewhat uncertain due to limited fossil material and the complexity of early ankylosaur relationships. Additional fossils could refine its position within Ankylosauria.

Disarticulated skeletal material

The referred material to *Spicomellus* in this paper consists of disarticulated skeletal elements, making it difficult to fully reconstruct the animal's anatomy and to confidently assign all elements to the same individual.

Descriptive study, no statistical tests

Since the paper focuses on the description of new fossil material, there are no experimental or statistical tests conducted. The conclusions are based on comparative anatomy and phylogenetic analysis.

Rating Explanation

This paper describes important new fossil material of an early ankylosaur, *Spicomellus afer*, providing insights into the evolution of armor in this group. While limitations exist due to the incomplete and disarticulated nature of the material, the fossil's unique features and phylogenetic placement make it a significant contribution to our understanding of early ankylosaurs.

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