What is it about?
This paper describes fossils (part of a jaw and tail bones) from a new species of large, meat-eating dinosaur found in Cinctorres, Spain. Named Protathlitis cinctorrensis, it belongs to the spinosaurid family (relatives of Spinosaurus and Baryonyx) and lived during the Early Cretaceous period. The discovery helps us understand the types of dinosaurs that inhabited the Iberian Peninsula around 127-126 million years ago.
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Why is it important?
This discovery is significant because it identifies a new spinosaurid genus, Protathlitis, from Iberia. Finding this specific type (a baryonychine) alongside a different type (the spinosaurine Vallibonavenatrix) in the same rock formation highlights unexpectedly high spinosaur diversity in Early Cretaceous of Spain. It provides crucial evidence supporting the hypothesis that spinosaurids originated and diversified in Europe before spreading elsewhere.
Perspectives
This paper represents solid paleontological work, meticulously describing fragmentary but diagnostic fossils. It's exciting how finds like Protathlitis reinforce Iberia's importance as a hotspot for spinosaur evolution during the Early Cretaceous. The naming convention is also a fun nod to local culture (Villarreal C.F.). It highlights how each new fossil adds a vital piece to the complex puzzle of dinosaur distribution and evolution, supporting the European origin theory for this group.
Andrés Santos-Cubedo
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: A new spinosaurid dinosaur species from the Early Cretaceous of Cinctorres (Spain), Scientific Reports, May 2023, Springer Science + Business Media,
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33418-2.
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