Scientists perplexed as iconic dinosaur thought unique to America is found in Spain

A complete fossil of the iconic Diplodocus has been discovered in Europe for the first time, upending our understanding of dinosaur distribution during the Late Jurassic period.

The long-necked sauropod had previously been found only in the Morrison Formation paleontological site in western US.

But a recent dig excavated 14 tail vertebrae and many exceptionally preserved bones of the iconic dinosaur at the La Tejería site in eastern Spain’s Teruel.

The fossil was dated 150 million years ago, providing compelling evidence that dinosaurs migrated between North America and Europe during during the Late Jurassic Period.

Dinosaurs likely crossed temporary land bridges that emerged as the proto-North Atlantic Ocean underwent regressive phases.

Researchers said the findings also helped them better understand the diversity of sauropod dinosaurs that inhabited the European Jurassic.
“The outcome of the dig is some of the strongest paleontological evidence for episodes of dispersal and faunal exchange between the two continents across the proto-Atlantic Ocean during the Late Jurassic,” Sergio Sánchez Fenollosa, an author of a study detailing the new discovery in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

Diplodocus is one of the most recognisable dinosaurs, with its long neck, whip-like tail and relatively small head.

Researchers estimated the fossil Diplodocus unearthed in Spain was about 25m long, comparable in size to its North American relatives.

Thanks to the exceptional state of the fossil’s preservation, researchers could identify distinctive anatomical features characteristic of Diplodocus.