The search for the new dinosaur species was initiated by a mention from a French geologist in his monograph from the 1960s, where he spoke of finding a dinosaur tooth in a small area in Niger. However, this discovery could not be confirmed at that time. Subsequently, this finding became the basis for a series of expeditions that led to the discovery of not only the tooth but also the skull and jaw of a spinosaurus. The results of these studies were published four years later in the journal Science.
