Teruel has been the point where one Rest of StegosaurusBut no one but the most complete skull that has been discovered throughout Europe of this specimen and that adds one step in the path of Rewrite the evolutionary history of Herbivoor.
In particular, it is located in the municipality of Riodeva and the scientists of the Paleontological Joint Foundation of Teruel – Dinópolis analyzes in what they consider will be a new milestone to approach a “new theory about the evolutionary history of dinosaurs with plates in the world”.
This type of Dinosaurs fed with plants And they are recognized by the two rows of bars spikes that had from the start of the neck and until the end of the tail.
The most complete Stegosaurus skull in Europe appears in Teruel
A new study analyzes a Stegosauric skull that has been discovered in the province of Teruel, the most complete in Europe. This finding rewrites the evolutionary history of Herbivoor.
Scientists of the Teruel – Dinópolis Paleontological Foundation They investigate a fragment of a Stegosauric skull that has been discovered in the municipality of Riodeva (Teruel) and a new theory about the evolutionary history of dinosaurs with records in the world.
The Stegosaurios were mainly characterized by feeding with plants, moving four -fold and showing two rows of spikes from the start of the neck to the end of the tail. The new study, published in vertebrate zoology, shows that This fossil of the type of Dacenturus -armatus is best stored in Europe.
In particular the fossilized fragment (About 150 million years ago).
Sergio Sánchez Fenollosa, a researcher at the Dinópolis Foundation and co -author of the study, points out that “the detailed study of this exceptional fossil has enabled us to reveal aspects so far about the anatomy of dacenturus parliads of which 150 year.
Dinosaurus skulls are rarely preserved In the fossil register because of the Fragility of bones who form them. This finding has become a very relevant element to understand the evolution of Stegosaurus heads.
In addition, researchers have presented a new hypothesis parallel to the study that redesign the kinship relationships of Stegosaurios around the world.
New evolutionary hypothesis illuminated with the finding of this Stegosaur skull
“As a result of this work, the definition of a new group is formalized, called Neostegosauria”, Says the researcher. This new group includes Stegosaurids from late to great divergence that Africa and Europe inhabited during the middle and upper Jurassic, North America during the superior jury and Asia during the upper Jura and the lower chalk.
The Riodeva payment remains research and still keeps numerous relevant fossils such as postcranial elements of an adult individual and, in particular the highlight, remains of youth specimens.