Paleontologists in Spain have uncovered the most complete stegosaur skull ever found in Europe, providing them with a rare opportunity to study the anatomy and evolutionary history of one of the most iconic dinosaurs that once roamed Earth.
The skull, dating back to the Late Jurassic period, is believed to belong to Dacentrurus armatus, a species first described in 1875. It was uncovered in the Villar del Arzobispo Formation in Teruel, Spain, at the “Están de Colón” site, providing paleontologists with an unprecedented glimpse into the anatomy of this armored herbivore.
A Special and Well-Preserved Find
Stegosaur skulls are extremely rare because their bones were thin and fragile, making them difficult to preserve over millions of years. Most known species are represented by partial skeletons, leaving much to the imagination when it comes to reconstructing their head anatomy.
According to researchers fromFundación Conjunto Paleontológico de Teruel-Dinópolis, this skull is the most complete stegosaur skull ever found in Europe. The fossil has preserved important parts of the skull, including the frontal, postorbital, squamosal, parietal, and supraoccipital bones, along with a neck vertebra that confirmed it belonged to Dacentrurus armatus.
These bones offer a rare chance to study the stegosaur skull in more detail than ever before. By examining this fossil, described in a study published in Vertebrate Zoology, scientists will be able to learn more about the stegosaur’s anatomy, feeding habits, and how it interacted with its environment. As researcher Sergio Sánchez Fenollosa puts it:
“Dinosaurian skulls are rarely preserved due to the extreme fragility of their bones. This discovery is key to understanding how stegosaurian skulls evolved.”
New Discoveries About Stegosaur Evolution
The new skull is also helping scientists rethink how stegosaurs evolved. The team behind the discovery compared 115 anatomical traits across 30 fossil groups, leading to the identification of a new branch. According to the researchers:
“Alongside the anatomical study, we have also proposed a new hypothesis that redefines the evolutionary relationships of stegosaurs worldwide. As a result of this work, we have formalized the definition of a new group called Neostegosauria.”
This group includes stegosaurs from Europe, Africa, North America, and Asia. This new classification challenges some earlier assumptions about the evolution and spread of these dinosaurs.
The study also shakes up our understanding of other stegosaur species. For example, it supports the idea that Isaberrysaura mollensis from Argentina should be classified as a stegosaur and suggests that species like Alcovasaurus longispinus and Kentrosaurus aethiopicus are more closely related to Dacentrurus armatus than we originally thought.
A Treasure Trove for Paleontologists
The “Están de Colón” site, where the skull was found, has turned out to be an important location for paleontologists. Since the discovery, the site has yielded nearly 200 fossils, including remains of at least two stegosaurs at different stages of growth. Besides stegosaurs, fossils of theropods, sauropods, ornithopods, and even fish have been found.
Alberto Cobos, managing director of Fundación Dinópolis, says the Riodeva site is a key spot for understanding dinosaur evolution. The discovery of juvenile Dacentrurus fossils at the site, along with adult ones, is particularly rare and gives scientists a unique look at how these dinosaurs grew up.
“This fossil site from Riodeva continues to be a subject of research and still holds numerous relevant fossils, including more postcranial elements from the same adult specimen and, notably, juvenile individuals, a particularly rare combination in this type of dinosaurs. These discoveries continue to exponentially increase the paleontological heritage of the province of Teruel, making it one of the iconic regions for understanding the evolution of life on Earth,” he explained.
With ongoing research, more bones from the same adult Dacentrurus specimen are being examined, and there’s anticipation that even more groundbreaking finds will be made at this location.
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