Spinosaurus has made history as the first known swimming dinosaur. In our story—with exclusive photos—we detail how a newfound fossil tail is changing what we know about how and where dinosaurs lived. For more historic stories like this, subscribe to National Geographic: https://on.natgeo.com/2YhJYHJ | National Geographic History

Spinosaurus is often shown swimming in deep open water in popular videos—but that’s not entirely accurate. Based on current fossil evidence, Spinosaurus likely lived a semi-aquatic lifestyle in swampy river systems, floodplains, and shallow waterways of what is now North Africa, around 95 million years ago. Its dense bones helped it stay submerged, and its long, crocodile-like snout was built for catching fish. It also had a large, flexible tail—ideal for paddling through shallow water, not long