Baryonyx: The Fishing Dinosaur

            When the dinosaurs lived, they often had just one thing on their minds – FOOD! Whether a dinosaur ate plants or meat, getting food was a full-time job. Scientists have found evidence that at least one type of dinosaur went fishing for its food. That dinosaur was Baryonyx (BAR-ee-ON-ix).

            Scientists know Baryonyx was a meat eater because it had the sharp curved teeth needed to cut through meat. But in many ways, it was different from other meat-eating dinosaurs.

            Most meat-eating dinosaurs had strong jaws, heavy skulls, and enormous teeth, so they could slice through tough skin and bone. But Baryonyx’s jaws were not very strong, and its head was long and flat, like a crocodile’s. Its teeth were much smaller than most meat eaters’ – and it had almost twice as many of them. Baryonyx was not made for attacking other dinosaurs. It was made for catching fish.

            A lot of animals like the taste of fish, but it takes a very special kind of animal to catch them. Fish dart about very quickly in the water. To catch them, an animal has to be even quicker. Fish are also very slippery. Holding onto them takes special claws or teeth.

            So, how could Baryonyx catch fish? Scientists have suggested several ways.  It might have stood by the edge of a shallow lake, waiting as patiently as a heron. When an unsuspecting fish swam by, it might have snapped it up. Its long mouth and many sharp teeth could have grabbed a quick-moving fish and held onto it no matter how much it wiggled.

            Or the Baryonyx might have played crocodile. Some scientists picture it floating in the water, watching carefully. If a fish swam by, it was scooped up in the long mouth of Baryonyx.

            Another way it might have fished was with its front feet. It could use its front feet as hands. It had long, slender fingers which may have been used to grab fish. Or if it didn’t feel like grabbing, it might have gone “spear fishing.” The name Baryonyx means “heavy claw.” It got this name because it had a huge claw, one of the biggest dinosaur claws that has ever been found – 12 inches long! Scientists think Baryonyx had one of the super claws on each front foot. It could stand in shallow water, waiting. Then, when a fish swam past, it could stab quickly into the water and catch it.

            What makes scientists so sure Baryonyx ate fish? The first skeleton found had fish scales where its stomach would have been. They also found a few bones of a plant-eating dinosaur. How did Baryonyx hunt large plant eaters when it wasn’t a very big or strong dinosaur? Well, many scientists think it let a powerful meat eater like Megalosaurus do all the work. Megalosaurus might kill a plant eater too big for it to eat. Baryonyx could come by when it was done and eat the leftovers. So, the life of Baryonyx was like a vacation – lots of fishing and somebody else prepares the food!

            Scientists don’t know much about how Baryonyx lived. They don’t know if it traveled in a pack or alone, they don’t know if it took care of its babies or left them on their own, and they don’t know if it had feathers or scaly skin. They can describe its size because the first skeleton found of it was 85% complete. It grew about 30-33 feet long and was about twice as tall as an average person. Its legs were short compared to some dinosaurs and lacked strong muscles, so it wasn’t a runner. It was not very strong in general, but its large claw would have made a great weapon to defend itself. Only a very big and very hungry meat eater would have bothered it.

            Scientists are fascinated by this dinosaur because it’s so different from other dinosaurs. The wide variety of dinosaurs makes them very interesting to study, and each new discovery adds to our picture of what they were like.

Sources (Click me!)

“Baryonyx.” Natural History Museum, London. https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/dino-directory/baryonyx.html

Paul, Gregory S. The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs. Princeton University Press, 2010. pp.  87-88.

Riehecky, Janet. Baryonyx. The Child’s World, 1990.