Discovery of the largest carnivorous dinosaur in Europe

earthpressnews
Discovery of the largest carnivorous dinosaur in Europe

You will also be interested


[EN VIDÉO] Jurassic World: could we recreate dinosaurs? In the Jurassic Park saga, dinosaurs are recreated from the blood of a fossilized mosquito, which contained intact dinosaur DNA. In reality, would the same process be possible?

The giant dinosaurs of the Cretaceous have not ceased to amaze the paleontologists nor to make the general public dream! A research team presents a article in the newspaper PeerJ Life & Environment in which she reports the discovery of the remains of what would have been the biggest dinosaur European predator. The discovery of the fossils was made on the Isle of Wight located in the English Channel, south of England. The remains date from the Lower Cretaceous and consist of posterior vertebrae, fragments of ribs,ilium and long bones, but no cranial remains have been recorded.

Fragments of dorsal vertebrae belonging to the giant specimen made it possible to classify it among the spinosaurids and to estimate its size. © Barker et al, 2022

A giant and “anonymous” spinosaurid

The comparison of these remains with those of other dinosaurs allows the authors to classify the discovered individual among the spinosauridswithin which are found the species of the genera Spinosaurus, Baryonyx, Suchomimus or Ichthyovenator. Species in this group have a skull elongate typical of piscivores and have a ecology associated with the presence of watercoursesalthough their ability to hunt in water is still widely debated. The specimen has not yet been classified within a species and has been tentatively named ” white rock spinosaurid “, according to the name of the layer of sediment in which it was discovered. According to the authors, the specimen would have measured more than 10 meters in length and would be larger than the largest individuals of carnivorous dinosaurs found so far in Europe.

Special offer: for Father’s Day, offer the best of Science!

Your father is a great science enthusiast and unusual discoveries? And if you offer him a superb scientific exploration in paper format? Benefit from -20% on the Mag Futura (special offer: €15 instead of 19 €): 220 pages to explore 4 scientific issues that will shape our future!

Mag Futura is:

  • 4 major scientific questions for 2022, from the Earth to the Moon
  • 220 pages, 60 experts: no fake news, just science
  • Home delivery with electronic gift card
  • An independent scientific media
Special offer: -20% reduction on the Mag Futura

Special offer: -20% reduction on the Mag Futura

Interested in what you just read?

fs11