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Fossil Of 150 Million-Year-Old Dinosaur Found In Portugal. Mystery About Species Intrigues Scientists And May Rewrite Part Of Jurassic History
The discovery of a new herbivorous dinosaur in Portugal is attracting the attention of specialists. The dinosaur fossil, excavated in the Lusitanian Basin, belongs to an animal that lived about 150 million years ago, during the Late Jurassic. Although the specimen has not yet received a formal name, it is a type of iguanodontian never recorded before.
These dinosaurs were known for their beak-like mouths and robust bodies. The researchers involved explain that, even without a complete diagnosis, the dinosaur fossil points to greater diversity among iguanodontians than previously thought. The team believes that the new fossil represents an undocumented taxon.
The study also highlights the important role of Europe in the diversification and dispersion events of these dinosaurs. According to the authors, the discovery shows how the Late Jurassic fauna was more varied than the current record indicated.
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A Robust Dinosaur Different From The Known
The specimen was located in rock layers of the Lusitanian Basin, an area already known for its abundance of fossils. Detailed analysis of the bones revealed that it does not correspond to any cataloged species so far.
The team believes that this new dinosaur was heavier and more robust than others in the same area, such as Draconyx and Eousdryosaurus.
For researcher Filippo Maria Rotatori, from the GEOBIOTEC research center at Nova FCT, the find was unexpected. “It was a surprise. We believed that the diversity of this group of dinosaurs was already well documented in the Late Jurassic of Portugal, and this discovery shows that there is still much to learn and that exciting discoveries can still emerge in the near future,” he said. He adds that the discovery shows how much remains to be revealed about European prehistory.
Indications Of A Dinosaur Community
Another important point of the study was the identification of smaller and isolated femurs in the same region. According to Bruno Camilo from the University of Lisbon, this indicates the presence of different age groups of these dinosaurs: “This is the first time we have found different age groups of this type of dinosaur in Portugal, opening new possibilities for research,” Camilo stated.
Camilo believes that the find could open new research possibilities. For him, the data reveals that the region was inhabited by a structured population, which helps to better understand the behavior of iguanodontians.
Migration Bridges And New Questions
The researchers also observed similarities between the new dinosaur and other species already found in North America and Europe. This raises the hypothesis that the Iberian Peninsula may have served as a migration bridge between the continents. More studies will be needed to understand this connection.
Although still unnamed, the discovered fossil, identified as SHN.JJS.015, is preserved at the Natural History Society of Torres Vedras.
The discovery involved scientists from various institutions, including the University of Lisbon, the National University of Distance Education (UNED) in Spain, and other European organizations.
The team believes that the fossil richness of the Portuguese region still has much to offer. The variety of species and evidence of dinosaur communities show that the territory was an important point of biological diversity during the Jurassic. Future discoveries may shed even more light on this period of natural history.
With information from Interesting Engineering.
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