Researchers have discovered the ѕkeɩetoп of a sauropod dinosaur in Portugal. This may be the largest dinosaur remains ever found in Europe.
Excavation work began at the Pombal city garden in 2017, when the site’s owner discovered many fossilized bone fragments and contacted researchers at the University of Lisbon.
Earlier this month, Portuguese and Spanish paleontologists exсаⱱаted and discovered the vertebrae and ribs of a sauropod genus brachiosaurid, the Guardian reported on August 27.
Sauropods are the largest dinosaurs and the largest land animals that have ever existed. They are herbivores, have long necks and walk on four legs.
“Finding entire dinosaur ribs like this doesn’t happen often,” said Elisabeth Malafaia, a researcher at the University of Lisbon.
The size of the newly discovered bones shows that this dinosaur was 12m tall and 25m long.
Due to the location of the ѕkeɩetoп, the researchers hope the next excavation will uncover more parts of the same dinosaur.
The ѕkeɩetoп was discovered in sedimentary rock of the Upper Jurassic period, showing it to be about 150 million years old.
“This discovery confirms that the Pombal area contains many important fossil remains of late Jurassic vertebrates. Discoveries over the past decades have provided a rich knowledge of terrestrial animals that lived in the world. in the Iberian peninsula about 145 million years ago,” said Malafaia researcher.