Irritator

Irritator was a spinosaurid dinosaur that roamed Brazil around 113 to 110 million years ago. It’s known from a single, heavily modified skull that caused frustration for scientists. Its name reflects both the irritation of paleontologists and a nod to a famous fictional professor.

• Its skull was damaged and altered by fossil collectors before scientists could study it.
• The species name honors Professor Challenger from Arthur Conan Doyle's stories.
• The original fossil was part of an international dispute before being returned to Brazil.