0:00:02 > 0:00:03If you thought you knew
0:00:03 > 0:00:07all there was to know about dinosaurs, think again.
0:00:10 > 0:00:15I'm Jem Stansfield and this is Planet Dinosaur Files,
0:00:15 > 0:00:18the series that rewrites the prehistory books.
0:00:18 > 0:00:24We're bringing to life the most awesome beasts to walk the Earth,
0:00:24 > 0:00:28with state-of-the-art CGI technology that makes you feel
0:00:28 > 0:00:29like you're right there.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33And I'll be discovering
0:00:33 > 0:00:38what made these massive, lethal and, frankly, bizarre beasts tick.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42I'll be devising demos with a real cutting edge.
0:00:42 > 0:00:48Sparks will fly and I'll even be using genuine shark teeth.
0:00:49 > 0:00:54In the last 20 years, scientists have discovered more dinosaurs
0:00:54 > 0:00:57than in all the centuries that have gone before.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02Amazing new discoveries.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07They reveal a jaw-dropping cast list of creatures.
0:01:09 > 0:01:10Bigger...
0:01:12 > 0:01:13..weirder...
0:01:13 > 0:01:16deadlier than we'd ever imagined.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20And this time on Planet Dinosaur Files,
0:01:20 > 0:01:25we're asking the question, "Which of these creatures was the deadliest?"
0:01:33 > 0:01:38You might think you know about dinosaurs.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42Like the huge, 12-tonne plant eater Diplodocus.
0:01:45 > 0:01:50Or the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex, a savage predator
0:01:50 > 0:01:54who dominated half the planet for almost five million years.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58Well, think again.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02Prepare to meet the new deadly dinos on the block.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07Troodon, a cunning hunter,
0:02:07 > 0:02:11big-eyed and brainy, whose speciality was the night attack.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18Mapusaurus, a bloodthirsty meat eater with lethal gnashers.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20A predator that could take on
0:02:20 > 0:02:23the biggest creature that's walked the Earth.
0:02:25 > 0:02:30And Spinosaurus, an incredible, massive monster...
0:02:32 > 0:02:35..who could hunt prey in both water and on land.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38An amazing all-round killing machine.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41Three of the most lethal,
0:02:41 > 0:02:45versatile hunters to have ever roamed the planet.
0:02:47 > 0:02:52I'm going to look at just what makes these dinosaurs so deadly.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56First up, how deadly are their teeth?
0:02:56 > 0:03:02A great set of gnashers are a must for a top predator.
0:03:04 > 0:03:05Next, weapons.
0:03:05 > 0:03:10What do they have in their armoury that can help them get a meal?
0:03:10 > 0:03:16This could be anything from a superb set of claws to amazing eyesight.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20And, finally, hunting skills.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23Do these deadly dinosaurs hunt alone or in a pack?
0:03:23 > 0:03:28When do they hunt and what can they hunt?
0:03:28 > 0:03:32Let's meet our first contender.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44This is Troodon.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48We thought we knew all about this dinosaur,
0:03:48 > 0:03:52but a recent discovery has shown we've plenty to learn
0:03:52 > 0:03:54about this deadly fella.
0:03:56 > 0:04:01Troodons lived in North America 70 million years ago.
0:04:01 > 0:04:07Only two metres long, they'd be up to waist height on an average human.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11Don't sound too threatening, do they?
0:04:11 > 0:04:15Well, the fossils of a new Troodon found in Alaska,
0:04:15 > 0:04:20in the United States, show this was a creature way more menacing.
0:04:20 > 0:04:25But how can we be sure? By studying the evidence - that's how.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Look at these two Troodon teeth.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34One is twice the size of the other.
0:04:34 > 0:04:39It's one of many found in Alaska in the frozen north of the USA.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42In 2008, a study of these teeth
0:04:42 > 0:04:45revealed a new kind of super-sized Troodon.
0:04:47 > 0:04:52The average Troodon was usually about the size of a Great Dane dog.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58But those whopping Alaskan Troodon gnashers
0:04:58 > 0:05:02show this was a predator loads more deadly than we imagined.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05Alaskan Troodons were four metres long -
0:05:05 > 0:05:09twice as big as other Troodons.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15These Super Troodons were much heftier,
0:05:15 > 0:05:16but were still pretty small
0:05:16 > 0:05:21alongside this huge duck-billed Edmontosaurus
0:05:21 > 0:05:24that they hope will provide their next meal.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28Edmontosaurs could be 12 metres in length -
0:05:28 > 0:05:32that's as long as three rhinos standing in a line.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36So, you wouldn't think that the herd would be in any real danger
0:05:36 > 0:05:39from the Troodons. Well, size isn't everything.
0:05:42 > 0:05:47At sunset, the odds switch in the Troodons' favour.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53In a place as far north as Alaska,
0:05:53 > 0:05:57it can stay dark at night for a whopping 18 hours.
0:05:57 > 0:06:02The Edmontosaurs might be asleep, but these Troodons aren't.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06And these are clever creatures, as well.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08Of all the dinosaurs we've discovered,
0:06:08 > 0:06:12they have the biggest brains compared to their body size.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15And, what's more, they have very, very good eyesight.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24There are plenty of meat-eating animals in the wild today
0:06:24 > 0:06:27that specialize in night hunting.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31This jaguar lives in the jungles of South America.
0:06:31 > 0:06:36These pecarries, a kind of wild pig, are the prey it's going after.
0:06:36 > 0:06:42The big cat's superb night vision gives it a crucial advantage.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44It can see its prey.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47But the peccary can't see the jaguar,
0:06:47 > 0:06:51giving the big cat the chance to pounce.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01Now, a Troodon's eyes are so good in the dark
0:07:01 > 0:07:06because they're very large, and also they face forwards -
0:07:06 > 0:07:08a great advantage for a predator,
0:07:08 > 0:07:11because with two eyes focusing on one target in front,
0:07:11 > 0:07:15Troodons get a better sense of depth and distance,
0:07:15 > 0:07:17helping them to hunt prey.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24The Edmontosaur's eyes, though,
0:07:24 > 0:07:30are smaller and so once the sun goes down, its advantage Troodon.
0:07:35 > 0:07:40As the Troodons go among the herd, they quickly cause panic.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44What they're looking for is a vulnerable, smaller youngster,
0:07:44 > 0:07:46separated from the adults.
0:07:52 > 0:07:57This kind of behaviour is exactly what you find in the wild today.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Here, a pride of lions are hunting at night
0:08:03 > 0:08:05amongst a herd of elephants.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09They're filmed using infrared photography,
0:08:09 > 0:08:11so we can see them in the dark.
0:08:11 > 0:08:16Now, lions don't often attack elephants because they're so big.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18But at night the lions' much-better eyesight
0:08:18 > 0:08:21increases their chances of a kill.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26Like Troodon, they choose their target carefully.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29This elephant, smaller than the big adults,
0:08:29 > 0:08:32is on its own and vulnerable.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35Just the opportunity the lions are looking for.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42The Troodons have also found their prey -
0:08:42 > 0:08:46this young Edmontosaurus has separated from the herd,
0:08:46 > 0:08:49and the Troodons grab their chance.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54Time for their teeth to come into play.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57But just how deadly were those Troodon teeth?
0:09:05 > 0:09:08Welcome to the Planet Dinosaur Files workshop.
0:09:11 > 0:09:16For a dinosaur to be deadly, it obviously needs sharp teeth.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20Different teeth do different jobs depending on the type of prey
0:09:20 > 0:09:21and how it catches them.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27But just how deadly are a set of dinosaur gnashers?
0:09:27 > 0:09:31Well, here, I've got three teeth that are almost identical
0:09:31 > 0:09:36to those of the Troodon. They're from an oceanic white-tipped shark
0:09:36 > 0:09:41but, in style and size, they are practically the same thing.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44Now, things to notice with these teeth -
0:09:44 > 0:09:46very pointed, curved, but, most importantly,
0:09:46 > 0:09:50they've got these tiny serrations along the edges.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54Now, these operate a little bit like my most effective kitchen knife.
0:09:54 > 0:09:59What these serrations do is when the animal bites down,
0:09:59 > 0:10:01effectively the full force of its jaw
0:10:01 > 0:10:04is concentrated on each tiny point.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10But to really get a feel of how good these teeth are,
0:10:10 > 0:10:13we've made our own fake dinosaur flesh.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17We've used a tough latex rubber to provide a fair bit of resistance
0:10:17 > 0:10:21and, hopefully, give us an idea of what it'd be like
0:10:21 > 0:10:25to bite into the flank of an unfortunate herbivore.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29As you can see, this dino flesh is pretty tough stuff.
0:10:31 > 0:10:36Now, first thing I want to test is the piercing power of these teeth.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40What I'm going to do is just give it a little bit of weight.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42Whoa!
0:10:42 > 0:10:45OK, so that's like a decent one-finger push.
0:10:45 > 0:10:50That's all it takes to get Troodon teeth into our fake dinosaur flesh.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53But, if you're a Troodon, all you've done is hurt your prey.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57You haven't got dinner. For that, you've got to rip flesh out.
0:10:57 > 0:11:02Oh, wow! They are astonishingly good. I thought the skin'd put up
0:11:02 > 0:11:06more resistance than this. These teeth cut through that flesh
0:11:06 > 0:11:11almost effortlessly. If you look, that is a hideous cut!
0:11:11 > 0:11:16These are frighteningly good teeth, which is why the Troodon really was
0:11:16 > 0:11:18one of the top predators in its area.
0:11:23 > 0:11:28Back to the long Alaskan nights 70 million years ago.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32These Troodons have got their prey right where they want it.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34But they can still be caught unawares.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41A big parent Edmontosaurus
0:11:41 > 0:11:45has come to the rescue of this youngster in the nick of time.
0:11:45 > 0:11:50These Troodons will have to look somewhere else for tonight's dinner.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56So, that's Troodon, then.
0:11:57 > 0:12:03It had small teeth but, with those serrations, they were razor sharp.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06Weapons? Well, it had brilliant eyesight
0:12:06 > 0:12:10that it used to increase its chances of a kill.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13And its special hunting skill was the night attack.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19But to be really lethal in the dinosaur world,
0:12:19 > 0:12:24you need the ability to take on virtually anything. Time to...
0:12:24 > 0:12:26ratchet up the deadly factor.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32This is Mapusaurus -
0:12:32 > 0:12:34a terrifying killer.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38It lived 25 million years before Troodon was around.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42That's 95 million years ago. Its territory was South America,
0:12:42 > 0:12:46roughly where you'd find Argentina today.
0:12:46 > 0:12:51This Mapusaurus is hunting amongst a herd of Argentinosaurs -
0:12:51 > 0:12:54a big challenge, because these herbivores
0:12:54 > 0:12:59are one of the largest dinosaurs known to have walked the planet.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02True, a Mapusaurus is much bigger than a Troodon,
0:13:02 > 0:13:08measuring ten metres long and weighing in at four tonnes -
0:13:08 > 0:13:12nearly the size of a T-rex.
0:13:12 > 0:13:18But how could it possibly take on a gigantic 75-tonne Argentinosaurus,
0:13:18 > 0:13:22an incredibly powerful dinosaur
0:13:22 > 0:13:25that weighed the same as five double-decker buses?
0:13:25 > 0:13:31By working in gangs - that's how. Let's take a look at the evidence.
0:13:33 > 0:13:39In Argentina in 2006, an amazing discovery was made.
0:13:39 > 0:13:44The fossil skeletons of seven different Mapusaurs were found.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48What's more, they were all together.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50One Mapusaurus on its own
0:13:50 > 0:13:55would be no match for a fully grown Argentinosaurus.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58What this fossil find could mean
0:13:58 > 0:14:02is that these carnivores hunted as a group.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05In the wild today, there are lots of predators
0:14:05 > 0:14:08who work together in gangs, as well.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12In southern Africa,
0:14:12 > 0:14:16this pack of wild dogs show how important team work is.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20They're hunting impala, a type of antelope.
0:14:20 > 0:14:21Some of the dogs chase,
0:14:21 > 0:14:28while others peel away, trying to cut off the impala's escape route.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31But this time the impala takes desperate action,
0:14:31 > 0:14:36by running into a river to get away from the pack.
0:14:40 > 0:14:4295 million years ago,
0:14:42 > 0:14:46gangs of Mapusaurs were working as teams, as well.
0:14:46 > 0:14:51This lot are circling a group of Argentinosaurs,
0:14:51 > 0:14:53looking for a victim to attack.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00And these meat eaters have some of the most lethal, deadly teeth
0:15:00 > 0:15:02of any dinosaur that's lived.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08Razor-sharp blades that can slice off chunks of flesh in a flash.
0:15:08 > 0:15:15That mouth has more cutting edges in it than a set of chef's knives.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19And because Mapusaurus is so quick compared to Argentinosaurus,
0:15:19 > 0:15:24it can actually feed off the flesh of this massive plant eater
0:15:24 > 0:15:26without having to kill it.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29Pretty gruesome!
0:15:36 > 0:15:39Time for the next tooth test.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47This is one of my Mapusaurus teeth.
0:15:47 > 0:15:52Whereas Troodon's teeth are pretty much the same as a modern-day shark,
0:15:52 > 0:15:57there's now nothing on this planet that has the vicious dentistry
0:15:57 > 0:16:00that used to be in the mouth of the Mapusaurus.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06The significant features of the Mapusaurus teeth are its size.
0:16:06 > 0:16:12I mean, these are huge teeth! Again, very sharply pointed and curved,
0:16:12 > 0:16:15but also, they have a vicious edge on them.
0:16:15 > 0:16:20Now, Troodon's teeth made short work of the dino flesh.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23How will Mapusaurus's gnashers compare?
0:16:23 > 0:16:27What we really want to find out is how good the teeth are.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29I'll start pushing them in.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31Now, they take a bit more effort -
0:16:31 > 0:16:35quite a lot more effort, they're bigger teeth.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42It's important to remember Mapusaurus was a massive animal.
0:16:42 > 0:16:51It was considerably more powerful than me. But I WILL get these in.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50I'm just about in there now.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53Let's see what it's like for ripping through the flesh.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05You wouldn't want to be on the sharp end of that.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08It's a messy business if you get bitten by a Mapusaurus.
0:17:08 > 0:17:13Now, I can see with this why the Mapusaurus was so massively feared,
0:17:13 > 0:17:17because it had the power to sink those huge teeth
0:17:17 > 0:17:21into the flesh of its prey, and has the strength in its body and neck
0:17:21 > 0:17:23to then pull them through.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26This is going to take huge chunks of flesh off an animal,
0:17:26 > 0:17:29which is why the Mapusaurus was able to attempt
0:17:29 > 0:17:33to take on something massive like the Argentinosaurus.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40That's Mapusaurus, then.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45Its teeth ripped through flesh.
0:17:45 > 0:17:46Absolutely lethal.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52For weapons, it had both speed and power.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54And hunting skills?
0:17:54 > 0:17:58Well, this was a fearless killer that hunted in gangs.
0:18:00 > 0:18:05But don't forget - Troodon's brainier and has better eyesight.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09One thing's for sure - both these dinosaurs are fantastic hunters,
0:18:09 > 0:18:13with the weaponry to be a top predator.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16But remember - I'm trying to find the ultimate,
0:18:16 > 0:18:19stand-out prehistoric killing machine.
0:18:24 > 0:18:29And this next awesome monster could be my leading contender.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33Spinosaurus!
0:18:35 > 0:18:38It looks like no other beast I've ever seen.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45In the dinosaur world, this is the Terminator.
0:18:46 > 0:18:52At a stunning 17 metres in length and 12 tonnes in weight,
0:18:52 > 0:18:56Spinosaurus is one of the largest predators
0:18:56 > 0:18:58to have ever walked the planet.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01If T-rex had been around at the same time,
0:19:01 > 0:19:07it would have needed a ladder just to look Spinosaurus in the face.
0:19:07 > 0:19:12But this huge hunter, four metres longer than mighty T Rex,
0:19:12 > 0:19:16roamed the planet 30 million years earlier.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23It ruled the roost in North Africa.
0:19:23 > 0:19:28Back then, this was a land of desert, but also rivers and swamps,
0:19:28 > 0:19:32where plant eaters like these Ouranosaurs lived, as well.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38Those massive two-metre-long spines on its back
0:19:38 > 0:19:43give this dinosaur its name. Spinosaurus means "spiny lizard".
0:19:43 > 0:19:46But luckily for these herbivores,
0:19:46 > 0:19:49they're not usually on the menu for Spinosaurus.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53This predator's favourite prey lived elsewhere.
0:19:58 > 0:20:04Spinosaurus' meal of choice was fish, not meat.
0:20:07 > 0:20:12This is a dinosaur that loved to hunt in water.
0:20:12 > 0:20:17Standing in the river shallows, Spinosaurus plays a waiting game.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21It's on the lookout for one of these -
0:20:21 > 0:20:26Onchopristis, a giant eight-metre-long sawfish.
0:20:26 > 0:20:31There's enough fresh sushi there for a whole Japanese restaurant!
0:20:35 > 0:20:38This Grizzly bear hunting in a river in Canada
0:20:38 > 0:20:41loves a bit of raw fish, too.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45He and his mates know that thousands of juicy salmon are swimming
0:20:45 > 0:20:49up river - and they're waiting for a meal to come their way.
0:20:49 > 0:20:55And their super-quick reactions mean they can catch this fish in mid-air.
0:20:58 > 0:21:03But how do we know Spinosaurus was as partial to fish as that bear?
0:21:03 > 0:21:06By looking at the evidence - that's how.
0:21:07 > 0:21:12These are the tooth sockets in a Spinosaurus's jaw.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15It was found in 2005 in North Africa.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19Stuck in one of the sockets is a tiny piece of backbone
0:21:19 > 0:21:22from another creature.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26This Spino clearly didn't brush his teeth before he went to bed!
0:21:26 > 0:21:32That bone fragment was from a sawfish, possibly Onchopristis.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36These juicy fish were one of Spinosaurus' favourite foods.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40And, a bit like a bored angler, Spino would spend hours
0:21:40 > 0:21:43waiting for these tasty river treats to swim by.
0:21:45 > 0:21:51Here was a beast that loved poking its snout into a fast-flowing river.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55And Spinosaurus's way of catching fish is really clever.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58Its secret lies in that snout.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00It has lots of small holes in it
0:22:00 > 0:22:03that are very similar to those of a crocodile.
0:22:07 > 0:22:13In a crocodile, these snout holes contain special sensors.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16These help the croc to feel small changes of pressure,
0:22:16 > 0:22:20caused by other creatures disturbing the water nearby.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24That signal is one of the ways it zeroes in on prey.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30And there are other creatures that have hunting sensors.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36Take sharks - they have a kind of electrical sensor in their snout,
0:22:36 > 0:22:40which helps them detect the movement of other fish in the water
0:22:40 > 0:22:43without having to see them.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49Dinosaur experts believe the Spinosaurus
0:22:49 > 0:22:52had sensors like the crocodile -
0:22:52 > 0:22:57an amazing ability that meant it could strike at these Onchopristis
0:22:57 > 0:22:59without even seeing them.
0:23:00 > 0:23:05And its long teeth, shaped like a cone with a very sharp point,
0:23:05 > 0:23:10were perfect for gripping these big, slippery sawfish.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19Time for our final tooth test.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24This is one of my Spinosaurus teeth. I've built them
0:23:24 > 0:23:28to closely resemble ones that have recently been dug up.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30They're quite distinctive.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33They're essentially a long, pointed cone
0:23:33 > 0:23:36but they've also got this slight hook on them.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44Troodon's teeth cut effortlessly through my dino flesh.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47Mapusaurus took longer to pierce but once in,
0:23:47 > 0:23:50it made a horrible mess.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53So, how will Spino's gnashers get on?
0:23:53 > 0:23:57Let's see how they go on the piercing test.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00That borders on being shockingly easy!
0:24:00 > 0:24:03As I experienced with the Mapusaurus,
0:24:03 > 0:24:05this is pretty tough stuff.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08The design of these teeth is obviously very effective.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12Now, how does it do for ripping and tearing?
0:24:16 > 0:24:19I think the easy answer is, it just doesn't!
0:24:22 > 0:24:26There is no way that those teeth are tearing through that.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28But that is for a reason.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32Because when a Spinosaurus locks into its prey,
0:24:32 > 0:24:35it wants to make sure that prey is unable to rip itself out.
0:24:35 > 0:24:40That's the point of the Spinosaurus. Its teeth aren't there for ripping -
0:24:40 > 0:24:42it hasn't got the serrations, like the Troodon,
0:24:42 > 0:24:45or the razor-sharp edges, like the Mapusaurus.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47It just wants to hold stuff.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50When you're grabbing slippery, wriggly fish,
0:24:50 > 0:24:52that's a very effective weapon.
0:24:56 > 0:25:01But, actually, that's not the whole story with Spinosaurus -
0:25:01 > 0:25:05because this killer had another lethal weapon to deal with prey.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12As soon as Spinosaurus releases its catch
0:25:12 > 0:25:16from its long, gripping teeth, just watch as those powerful arms
0:25:16 > 0:25:20and vicious claws do the job of tearing flesh.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28And there's another factor in Spino's favour.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30It was massively adaptable.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34This was a dinosaur that was deadly just about everywhere.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38As well as swimming and hunting in water,
0:25:38 > 0:25:41it could face down fearsome opponents on land -
0:25:41 > 0:25:46like this big predator, Carcharodontosaurus.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53And it could even feed on creatures of the air,
0:25:53 > 0:25:57like this pterosaur - a flying reptile.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01We know Spinosaurus fed off pterosaurs because its teeth
0:26:01 > 0:26:05have been found stuck in a backbone of one of these winged reptiles.
0:26:05 > 0:26:11This really was a killer capable of taking any prey it liked.
0:26:13 > 0:26:19Well, that's Spinosaurus - a massive super-predator.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22So, how does this awesome killer
0:26:22 > 0:26:26compare with our other deadly dinosaurs?
0:26:26 > 0:26:31There was Troodon - small, but cunning and vicious.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34On the teeth test, it was razor sharp.
0:26:34 > 0:26:39For weapons to catch prey, it had a clever brain and superb eyesight.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43And its special hunting skill was the night attack.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48Then the mighty Mapusaurus.
0:26:48 > 0:26:53A terrifying killer that took on the biggest dinosaur on the planet.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56For the teeth test, it was absolutely lethal.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00Weapons in its locker? Well, there was speed and power -
0:27:00 > 0:27:05and some very handy hunting skills when it attacked in gangs.
0:27:08 > 0:27:14And, finally, Spinosaurus, the Terminator of the prehistoric world.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18An astonishing all-round killing machine.
0:27:18 > 0:27:23Spino's teeth were terrific at piercing and gripping.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27Its range of weaponry - savage claws, amazing snout sensors
0:27:27 > 0:27:32and sheer brute strength in a fight - was stunning.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35And fantastic hunting skills.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38It could take on huge fish or big meaty dinosaurs,
0:27:38 > 0:27:42and easily switch from rivers to land.
0:27:44 > 0:27:50Spinosaurus has to be my ultimate deadly dinosaur. And by a long way.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58Next time on Planet Dinosaur Files,
0:27:58 > 0:28:01I'll look at some of the most powerful predators
0:28:01 > 0:28:04in the prehistoric world.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09And in the Dino Workshop, it's crunch time!