150-Million-Year-Old Tail Bones Found in Spain Reveal the First <em>Diplodocus</em> Outside North America
Learn how fossils from a Spanish town placed Diplodocus outside North America for the first time and offered evidence of dinosaur movement between continents.
For the first time in history, Diplodocus fossils have been discovered outside of North America, specifically in Spain. The 150-million-year-old remains were found during excavations in Teruel, and are the first confirmed Diplodocus fossils ever found outside the western U.S. Sergio Sánchez Fenollosa, the lead author of the study published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, identified the tail bones as belonging to a Diplodocus.
The five original vertebrae were discovered in 2008, with additional bones found in 2014 and 2015. The partial tail bones are among Europe's most complete finds from the dinosaur's family, with estimates suggesting the animal was about 82 feet long. The unique combination of bone features, including deep grooves and forked chevrons, helped researchers identify the fossils as Diplodocus.
The discovery suggests that during the Late Jurassic, temporary land bridges may have connected continents, allowing dinosaurs such as Diplodocus to cross between them.
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