Paleontologists in Spain have unearthed the first known Diplodocus fossils ever discovered outside of North America, according to research published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology by scientists from the Joint Paleontology Foundation Teruel-Dinópolis. Unearthed at the La Tejería site in El Castellar, Teruel, the 150-million-year-old remains challenge traditional assumptions about Late Jurassic dinosaur distribution and faunal exchange across the proto-Atlantic ocean.
Unearthing a Prehistoric Icon in Teruel
For more than a century, the massive, whip-tailed sauropod known as Diplodocus lived exclusively in the historical record of the western United States, primarily tied to the famous Morrison Formation. That geographical monopoly has officially ended. Paleontologists working in Teruel, Spain, recovered 14 exceptionally well-preserved caudal vertebrae from the dinosaur’s tail, alongside several characteristic V-shaped bones known as hemal arches or chevrons.
Sergio Sánchez Fenollosa, a paleontologist specializing in evolutionary biodiversity at the University of Valencia and author of the study, described the step-by-step realization. “From the earliest stages of the osteological study, we observed strong similarities with several diplodocine sauropods,” Sánchez Fenollosa explained, noting that subsequent evolutionary analyses kept pointing toward a definitive conclusion: the bones belonged to a Diplodocus.
Re-Engineering Late Jurassic Migration Models
Measuring up to 25 meters long, these colossal herbivores populated the earth approximately 150 million years ago toward the end of the Jurassic period. The presence of Diplodocus in the Iberian Peninsula provides compelling structural evidence that these massive animals migrated between North America and Europe. According to researchers, this trans-Atlantic movement likely relied on temporary land bridges that emerged during episodes of sea regression in the proto-North Atlantic.
Alberto Cobos, chief executive of the Dinópolis Foundation, pointed out that the El Castellar specimen closely resembles its North American relative, Diplodocus hallorum. This find establishes the animal as another major giant among Spain’s diverse prehistoric inventory, sitting alongside distinctly different native sauropods like Turiasaurus and Losillasaurus.
Complex Ecosystems of the Iberian Mesozoic
The eastern Iberian Peninsula continues to yield an extraordinarily dense fossil record, giving researchers a clearer picture of ancient coastal environments that once supported complex, highly diverse ecosystems. Excavations in the region have previously brought to light a rich mix of sauropods, theropods, stegosaurs, and ornithopods.
The newly identified Diplodocus fossils are now housed in the dinosaur gallery of the Aragonese Museum of Paleontology at Dinópolis in Teruel. By rewriting the geographic boundaries of one of paleontology’s most recognizable icons, the discovery opens a new chapter in understanding how prehistoric megafauna traversed ancient continents.
