Scientists have identified a new dinosaur species from a fossil found in Spain, a discovery that has been documented in Scientific Reports. The find adds a new chapter to the history of spinosaurids, a family of dinosaurs known for their distinctive skulls and later flourishing in various regions. This group included famous members such as Spinosaurus and Baryonyx, both of which have helped paleontologists understand the diversity and geographic spread of these carnivorous, predominantly large, bipedal dinosaurs. The recent study reinforces the idea that spinosaurids originated in Europe and subsequently spread to Africa and Asia as their evolutionary story unfolded across the ancient continents. Source: Scientific Reports.
Researchers led by Andrés Santos-Cubedo examined fragmentary remains discovered earlier in the Arcillas de Morella Formation in Spain. The material includes a portion of the right jawbone, a single tooth, and five vertebrae, all dating to the late Barremian to early Cretaceous period, roughly 127 to 126 million years ago. By comparing these fragments with known spinosaurid specimens, the team sought to place the new fossils within the broader evolutionary framework of this lineage. The analysis suggested a substantial animal, with an estimated length between 10 and 11 meters, indicating a sizable predator that inhabited ancient coastal and deltaic environments where such dinosaurs often hunted large prey. Source: Scientific Reports.
Based on the distinctive features observed in the jaw, tooth, and vertebrae, the researchers concluded that the specimen represents both a new species and a new genus within the spinosaurid family. The new genus was named Protathlitis, and the species designation was Protathlitis cinctorrensis. The genus name Protathlitis is rooted in the Greek word for champion, while cinctorrensis derives from the local area around Sintorres, the community associated with the discovery site. This naming reflects both the animal’s apparent stature as a dominant predator and the geographic significance of the find. Source: Scientific Reports.
The study also discusses the possible implications for the broader timeline of spinosaurid evolution. The authors propose that this newly described species may point to an early Cretaceous origin for spinosaurids on the ancient supercontinent Laurasia, which later split into Eurasia and North America. The emergence of Protathlitis cinctorrensis thus offers a clue about how spinosaurids could have migrated and diversified across different landmasses, eventually giving rise to later populations in Africa and Asia. These findings contribute to the ongoing reconstruction of spinosaurid biogeography and help clarify how environmental changes across the Cretaceous shaped the distribution of apex predators in inland and coastal ecosystems. Source: Scientific Reports.