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Brittany Schutter
Mr. Newman
English 101: Rhetoric
7 October 2014
Finding Spinosaurus
Paleontology is the study of life that existed prior to our own; paleontologists uncover a
lot of information about the past by studying fossils and ancient artifacts. Paleontology has many
branches but it is most popularly associated with finding dinosaur bones. Those who hunt for
dinosaur bones have many frustrations. For example, it is very hard to find a single bone in
general and once a bone is found, it is even more difficult to extract it from the ground.
Sometimes though, paleontologists are lucky enough to find exactly what they want. Tom
Mueller discusses that feeling of success in his article, Mister Big, featured by National
Geographic in their October issue. Mueller has a very inspired tone in his article as he describes
a story of a young paleontologists journey of solving the mystery of the Spinosaurus; Mueller
compliments his informative article with different types of visuals to excite the reader and help
them understand the new knowledge of the dinosaur.
Mueller begins setting up his inspirational article by introducing the young, and hopeful
paleontologist, Nizar Ibrahim. But, before Mueller reveals Ibrahims epic findings, he first delves
into the complications of Ibrahim and paleontologists before him. For example, Ibrahim and his
two colleagues have been searching the streets of Morocco for a man Ibrahim was sure could
help them solve the haunting mystery of the Spinosaurus but, we seemed to be nonexistent. This
ominous man knows the location of Spinosaurus fossils, but unfortunately, since they had no
luck finding him, the three scientists retreated to a caf. Ibrahim had told Mueller, Everything

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Id dreamed of seemed to be draining away. Mueller goes on to establish pathos in his article by
explaining Ibrahims emotional connection to locating the dinosaurs remains. Ibrahim has
always been inspired by the work of Ernst Freiherr Stromer Von Reichenbach (Ernst Stromer), a
paleontologist from the 19th century. Stromer was the first to unveil fossils from the specimen,
he called, Spinosaurus. His findings included two partial skeletons of a remarkable new
dinosaur, a gigantic predator with yard-long jaws bristling with interlocking conical teeth.
People were astounded, but what made this creature extraordinary was the six-foot sail-like
structure that it sported on its back, supported by distinctive struts, or spines. Mueller highlights
Stromers success of his discovery and being able to display them by including a picture of the
original specimen (See Figure 1). However though, Mueller reinstates the struggle of the
paleontologists when he tells of Stromers unfortunate fate. Stromers display was destroyed in
World War II during Allied bombing, the tragedy motivates Ibrahim to redeem Stromers hard
work. Finally, to further illustrate Ibrahims initial frustrations, he describes the paleontologists
trip to Milan, Italy. Ibrahim was exploring the Natural History Museum, when he met with
fellow paleontologists, Cristiano Dal Sasso and Simone Maganuco. The men showed Ibrahim
specimens they have received from a dealer, Ibrahim could hardly believe it, It was clearly a
Spinosaurus,substantially more complete than Ernst
Stromers lost specimens. Ibrahim questioned how a
man could come across those magnificent fossils so
easily; he made it his mission to find that dealer and
discover Spinosaurus for himself.
Finally, Mueller allows for a turning point in
his article, and keeps a consistent inspirational tone. He

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first goes into great detail about Ibrahim and his colleagues finding the fossil dealer. When they
confronted him the man he confirmed that hed chipped the bones out of a rock face, this was
exactly the news Ibrahim was hoping for, but, When they asked if he would show them the
findspot, however, the man at first refused. This disappointed the group, however, Ibrahim was
able to explain (in Arabic) how important it was that they explore the destination of the bones.
He further convinced the man by promising that knowledge would someday allow the dinosaur
to return to Morocco, as part of a new museum collection in Casablanca. Next, Mueller explains
the paleontologists excitement as they arrived to the location. The three of them were exploring
the terrain with their eyes, and making observations such as, the valley they were standing in had
been a river millions of years ago; this information will later become a monumental fact when
identifying the nature of the Spinosaurus.
When closing the article, Mueller briefly includes logos when examining the difference
in Ernst Stromers resources in comparison to Nizar Ibrahim. He [Stomer] struggled for decades
to understand the strange creature from the pieces of two skeletons that his team had found. Part
of Stromers difficulty was figuring what Spinosaurus was specialized for. But, with the help of
colleagues and technology Ibrahim is able to close the case on Spinosaurus. Just like Stomer
though, it really baffled Ibrahim how such a large body could stretch out behind Spinosaurus
head. He had even said to Mueller My brain couldnt quite compute all that complexity.
Ibrahim, with the help of Simone Maganuco from Milan and Tyler Keillor of University of
Chicago, and a computer, they digitally constructed an anatomically exact replica of Spinosaurus
(See Figure 2). Mueller really brings out his inspirational
tone when describing the revolutionary results

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the scientists were able to conclude, such as estimate the animals center of gravity and body
mass, the better to understand how it moved. With the knowledge of its body type, they were
able to conclude that Spinosaurus walked on all four of its legs. Also, Spinosaurus nostrils were
high on its body, and had a barrel shaped torso, the
scientists were able to conclude that Spinosaurus was an
aquatic dinosaur. Spinosaurus hind legs were perfect for
paddling, and its long snout allowed it to dive for prey like a heron. With much relief and much
excitement, Ibrahim and his colleagues have solved Stromers riddle; Ibrahims only
disappointment in the end is that Stromer wasnt there to see it for himself.
Mueller does a remarkable job when showing the progress of Nizar Ibrahims journey by
addressing his obstacles, then promoting his success. Not only does his writing style capture the
audience, but he also includes a number of visuals that captivate the audience: one is a
simulation Ibrahim had generated, another is an informational
video, and lastly he incorporates pictures from the museum
exhibit at the University of Chicago (see Figure 3). Mister
Big is an easy article to read and it is both inspiring and
interesting. Ibrahim notes how exciting it would be for Stromer
to see their progress studying the Spinosaurus, and through
Muellers article readers can be excited too. Muellers article
also brings Spinosaurus back to life.

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Works Cited
Mueller, Tom. "Mister Big." National Geographic 1 Oct. 2014: n. pag. Print.