Fossils of the creature Spicomellus revealed elaborate body armor used to attract mates and deter rivals. (Matt Dempsey | The Natural History Museum, London)A dinosaur that roamed modern-day Morocco more than 165 million years ago had a neck covered in three-foot long spikes, a weapon on its tail and bony body armor, according to researchers who unearthed the curious beast’s remains. The discovery of the animal Spicomellus in the Moroccan town of Boulemane painted a clearer picture of the bizarre, spiked ankylosaur, which was first described in 2021 based on the discovery of a single rib bone. “To find such elaborate armour in an early ankylosaur changes our understanding of how these dinosaurs evolved,” Maidment said. “It shows just how significant Africa’s dinosaurs are, and how important it is to improve our understanding of them,” she said.