A team of experts from Portugal and Spain has unearthed at the site in Pombal, central Portugal, the remains of what could be the largest dinosaur skeleton ever found in Europe.
Palaeontologists say the dinosaur appears to be around 25 metres (82 feet) long and could be among the largest dinosaur skeletons ever uncovered in Europe.
REMAINS OF LARGE DINOSAUR SKELETON UNEARTHED IN PORTUGAL
Paleontologists have been working away in a Portuguese backyard to unearth the remains of what could be the largest dinosaur ever found in Europe, University of Lisbon researchers said. | via @Reuters pic.twitter.com/FmwbxGvUPS
— The Philippine Star (@PhilippineStar) August 30, 2022
According to the university, the skeleton belonged to a sauropod – a group of plant-eating, four-legged species of dinosaur characterised by long necks and tails. The scientists suspect the dinosaur was of the brachiosaurus genus, which lived around 145 million years ago in the Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous periods. The name brachiosaurus means “arm lizard” in Greek.
The team has been working on the site since 2017, though dinosaur remains on the site were first known about in 2012.
Meanwhile in Texas…
Last week, dinosaur tracks 113 million years old were exposed in Texas after ongoing drought dried up parts of the river covering them.
DROUGHT REVEALS DINOSAUR FOOTPRINTS FROM 113 MILLION YEARS AGO
Dinosaur tracks from around 113 million years ago were found in the Texas State Park after a severe drought caused a river to dry up.
? Handout/Dinosaur Valley State Park/AFP pic.twitter.com/sven2WBzMK
— Philstar.com (@PhilstarNews) August 24, 2022
According to experts, they belong to a dinosaur called Acrocanthosaurus, a seven ton, two legged carnivore with small arms that looked similar to the Tyrannosaurus Rex, but smaller.
One-hundred-and-thirteen-million-year-old dinosaur tracks have been revealed in Texas, after the ongoing drought dried up parts of the river covering them pic.twitter.com/MsPNFIGRMe
— Reuters (@Reuters) August 25, 2022
Dinosaurs made the prints as they roamed muddy areas over 100 million years ago. Shortly after formation, they were covered over with sediment due to a flood, which later turned into limestone and protected the prints. Once exposed, the prints start to degrade.