Diplodocus fossils found in Europe for first time
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Paleontologists in Spain discovered fossils of Diplodocus, the long-necked dinosaur, marking the first time this dinosaur has been found outside of North America.
The remains, consisting of tail vertebrae and chevrons, were unearthed at the La Tejería site near El Castellar in eastern Spain. This discovery suggests that Diplodocus may have traveled from North America to Europe via a land bridge during the Late Jurassic period, when the Atlantic Ocean was narrower following the breakup of the supercontinent Pangaea.
The team identified the bones through characteristics like air sac cavities and grooves on the underside of the tail, confirming they belonged to a Diplodocus. A local resident initially spotted potential bones on a mountainside, prompting investigation by researchers from the Dinópolis Foundation, a paleontological research institution. The Spanish Diplodocus was approximately 25 meters, or 82 feet, long, similar in size to its North American relatives.
Scientists believe temporary land bridges allowed animals to move between continents, with one potential route connecting present-day Newfoundland to the Iberian Peninsula. Further research and more complete specimens are needed to determine the exact species and fully understand the dinosaur’s journey and evolutionary history.
