Diplodocus, Long Thought Exclusively American, Turns Up in Spain
Recorded: Sept. 17, 2026, 11:09 p.m.
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Diplodocus, Long Thought Exclusively American, Turns Up in Spain | Sci.News Home twitter Top Headlines: New Species of Imperial Pigeon Identified Home Home Diplodocus, Long Thought Exclusively American, Turns Up in Spain Sep 14, 2026 by « Previous | Paleontologists from Fundación Dinópolis have identified the first confirmed fossils of the genus Diplodocus found outside North America. Published in Featured Tagged as DinosaurDiplodocusDiplodocus hallorumEuropeFossilIberiaIberian PeninsulaJurassicLa TejeriaMigrationNorth AmericaSauropodSauropodaSpain You Might Like New Species of Imperial Pigeon Identified Paleontologists Uncover New Mosasaur Species in Egypt’s Western Desert New Dicynodont Species from Tanzania Suggests Younger Age for Rocks Tied to Earliest Dinosaurs Entanglement Survives Violence of CERN’s Large Hadron Collider Spanish Amber Deposit Offers Rare Window into Cretaceous Life Devonian Armored Fish Show Multiple Ways to Crush Hard-Shelled Prey Ancient Alligator Relative Lived Right After Dinosaur-Killing Asteroid Share This Page New Species of Imperial Pigeon IdentifiedSep 17, 2026 | Fossil Evidence Suggests Early Homo Had Abandoned Tree-Climbing by 1.8 Million Years AgoSep 16, 2026 | Study: Famous ‘Space Weather’ Train Delay Actually Happened Seven Years LaterSep 16, 2026 | Paleontologists Uncover New Mosasaur Species in Egypt’s Western DesertSep 16, 2026 | CERN Physicists Find Evidence of One of Higgs Boson’s Rarest DecaysSep 16, 2026 | VISTA Focuses on Inner Regions of Magellanic CloudsSep 16, 2026 | New Dicynodont Species from Tanzania Suggests Younger Age for Rocks Tied to Earliest DinosaursSep 15, 2026 | Entanglement Survives Violence of CERN’s Large Hadron ColliderSep 15, 2026 | New Study Explains Why Venus Has No MoonSep 15, 2026 | Spanish Amber Deposit Offers Rare Window into Cretaceous LifeSep 14, 2026 | Diplodocus, Long Thought Exclusively American, Turns Up in SpainSep 14, 2026 | Mercury Has Shrunk Even More than Planetary Scientists ThoughtSep 14, 2026 | Devonian Armored Fish Show Multiple Ways to Crush Hard-Shelled PreySep 14, 2026 | Study: Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Formed in Cold, Nitrogen-Rich EnvironmentSep 14, 2026 | Ancient Alligator Relative Lived Right After Dinosaur-Killing AsteroidSep 11, 2026 | Ichthyosaurs Had Surprisingly Dense Ribs, New Study FindsSep 11, 2026 | Exceptionally Preserved Bird Feathers Found in 66-Million-Year-Old Dinosaur CoproliteSep 10, 2026 | Denisovans Once Roamed Southwest China, New Fossils RevealSep 10, 2026 | Paleontologists Discover First-Ever Adult Tyrannosaurus rex TrackwaySep 9, 2026 | Elephants Show Talent for Resisting ImpulsesSep 9, 2026 | Britain’s Tallest Standing Stones Traced to Their Geological SourceSep 9, 2026 | Researchers Unveil Complete Fruit Fly ConnectomeSep 9, 2026 | Hubble and Webb Team Up to Spy Tiny Frozen Worlds beyond NeptuneSep 9, 2026 | New Owl Species Discovered in PeruSep 8, 2026 | Could Scoop of Moon Dust Reveal Alien Technology?Sep 8, 2026 |
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Paleontologists from Fundación Dinópolis have announced the identification of the first confirmed fossils belonging to the genus Diplodocus found outside of North America, specifically in Spain. This discovery involves a specimen designated as Spanish Diplodocus, which is noted to be a close relative of Diplodocus hallorum. This find allows researchers to gain a deeper understanding of Iberian Mesozoic ecosystems and the range of sauropod dinosaurs that inhabited the European Jurassic period. The fossilized remains, consisting of fourteen well-preserved tail vertebrae and several chevron bones, were unearthed at the La Tejería site near El Castellar in the Spanish province of Teruel. The newly discovered dinosaur was estimated to be approximately twenty-five meters in length, comparable to its American relatives. Dr. Alberto Cobos, managing director of Fundación Dinópolis, noted that this specimen contributes significantly to understanding the diversity of sauropod dinosaurs in the Spanish Jurassic, distinguishing it from other contemporaneous sauropods in the region such as Turiasaurus and Losillasaurus. The process of identification involved a careful osteological study, where researchers initially noted strong similarities with several diplodocine sauropods. Through detailed anatomical examination and subsequent evolutionary analyses, the team was able to confirm that the specimen exhibited a combination of features characteristic of Diplodocus species, solidifying the identification. The presence of Diplodocus in Iberia carries profound implications for understanding continental biogeography. According to the research team, this evidence strongly supports the hypothesis that dinosaurs dispersed between North America and Europe during the Late Jurassic. This dispersal likely occurred via temporary land bridges that existed when the proto-North Atlantic Ocean periodically receded. The fossils of these dinosaurs, including the new Diplodocus specimen, establish Teruel as a key reference point for studying this great diversity of prehistoric fauna. The team intends to publish their findings in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. |