Palaeontologists discovered a new species of sauropod dinosaur

A new species of dinosaur has been discovered in Spain revealing unknown history

Estimated to have roamed the Earth roughly 75 million years ago, a new species of sauropod dinosaur has been unearthed in Cuenca, eastern-central Spain.

Palaeontologists discovered new species of sauropod dinosaur from 75 million years ago

This species has been named Qunkasaura pintiquiniestra by the research team, led by palaeontologist Pedro Mocho from the University of Lisbon.

In 2007, work on the Madrid-Levante AVE had to be paused after the workers came across thousands of dinosaur bones in Lo Hueco, located in the town of Fuentes, roughly 20 kilometres from Cuenca.

The discovery was published on Wednesday, September 4, in the prestigious journal Communications Biology.

Qunkasaura pintiquiniestra reveals unknown European history

On Wednesday, September 4, 2024, the Museum of Palaeontology of Castilla-La Mancha hosted the presentation of the Qunkasaura pintiquiniestra, distinguished by being one of the most complete sauropod skeletons found in Europe.

Since 2007, the palaeontologists have collected over 12,000 fossils from the Lo Hueco site, consisting of cervical, dorsal and caudal vertebrae, part of the girdles and elements of the limbs.

This discovery suggests that the Iberian Peninsula played a crucial role in the global distribution of these dinosaurs, as well as revealing new history.

As stated in the Communications Biology journal article, “The description of this new form reveals, for the first time, the presence of at least two distinct saltasauroid lineages in the Ibero-Armorican domain, and supports the establishment of a new saltasauroid clade.”

Francisco Ortega, part of the research team, stated at the presentation “We have entries of immigrants that we did not know about and that managed to coexist at the same time and in the same place in some places like Lo Hueco.”

Ortega went on further to express his gratitude, saying “This collection has been under continuous study thanks to national projects and those of the Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha, which has allowed us to significantly increase our understanding of the ecosystems of southwestern Europe during the Upper Cretaceous.”