Spanish discovery extends Diplodocus range across Atlantic
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Paleontologists working in Teruel, Spain, have identified the first confirmed Diplodocus fossil outside of North America.
The team from the Fundación Conjunto Paleontológico de Teruel-Dinópolis excavated 14 tail vertebrae and several chevron bones at the La Tejería site in El Castellar. Previously, all Diplodocus remains came from the Morrison Formation in the western United States, leading scientists to believe the dinosaur lived exclusively there.
This discovery of a 150-million-year-old specimen suggests dinosaurs could travel between North America and Europe during the Late Jurassic period. Researchers believe temporary land bridges formed as the proto-North Atlantic Ocean levels dropped, allowing for migration. The Spanish Diplodocus measured approximately 25 meters long, similar in size to its North American relatives, and lived alongside other sauropods like Turiasaurus and Losillasaurus.
The exceptionally well-preserved fossil features anatomical characteristics typical of Diplodocus, including large cavities in the vertebrae and distinctive tail bones. Through anatomical comparisons and phylogenetic analyses, the team determined the specimen was closely related to Diplodocus hallorum. The fossils are now on display at the Museo Aragonés de Paleontología in Dinópolis, Teruel, allowing researchers and the public to study this important find.
