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Europe’s latest dinosaur rises from Spanish fields
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Europe’s latest dinosaur rises from Spanish fields
Farmers in Riodeva cleared stones from their almond orchards for generations, never dreaming they were tossing aside dinosaur bones -- and laying a trail for one of Spain’s greatest fossil finds.
But when two palaeontologists stumbled across a field scattered with the fragments they knew they had probably found a valuable cache, and when digging began in early 2003, it revealed a horde beyond their wildest hopes.
The remains of the largest dinosaur found in Europe, including an upper limb bone as big as a person -- 1.78 metres (5.8 feet) -- were nestling just below the surface in this remote corner of the central Spanish region of Aragon. “To find lots of bones is amazing. To find such a big animal is extraordinary, and to find it in Europe is extra-terrestrial”, said Alberto Cobos, the man who recognised the potential of the site.
The huge reptile which weighed an estimated 40 to 50 tonnes, the same as six or seven elephants, probably roamed the region up to 130 million years ago when it was a tropical “dinosaur paradise”, criss-crossed with rivers and streams.
Huge, perfectly preserved toe bone fossils and even a single curved nail, larger than a human hand, were found with a rib and leg and possibly pelvic bones.
The herbivore’s bones were jumbled with remains from other, smaller animals -- including teeth from carnivores that may have feasted on its flesh. Up to 35 metres (114 feet) long, the dinosaur could represent a new species, although the team uncovering it is wary of jumping to conclusions -- but its size alone is enough to put Riodeva firmly on the map.
The largest known dinosaurs have been found in Latin America and the new Spanish dinosaur claims the record for Europe, Cobos said. The province of Teruel, where Riodeva is located, was already well known to Spanish dinosaur lovers. But the latest find is the most exciting yet -- and its discoverers hope it will boost interest and funds, partly through raising the profile of Teruel’s dinosaur theme park, Dinopolis.
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