Reacción a "What is believed to be the first diplodocus found outside North America has been discovered in Teruel"

“This is a very interesting article because it describes, for the first time, the presence of Diplodocus—one of the dinosaurs best known to the general public—at a European site. The research is based on the discovery, at an Upper Jurassic site in Teruel, of a section of the vertebral column, specifically 14 caudal vertebrae and several hemal arches (tail region). To date, the material attributed to diplodocids found at sites in the Iberian Peninsula (and in Europe in general) has been rather fragmentary (with the exception of Dinheirosaururs in Portugal). It is therefore a significant discovery.”

Is the research of high quality?

“Undoubtedly. The authors of the article are renowned specialists and have published numerous papers on the Upper Jurassic dinosaur faunas of Teruel. In this study, the authors carry out detailed comparisons of the material with other diplodocids and conduct a phylogenetic analysis which leads to the identification of the fossils found in Teruel as belonging to the genus Diplodocus”.

How does it fit with the existing evidence?

“It fits well. This study adds to previous findings regarding the presence of ‘transatlantic’ or intercontinental dinosaurs found in both the Morrison Formation of North America and Iberian sites (in Portugal and Spain) during the Late Jurassic. This is the case for the theropods Allosaurus, Ceratosaurus and Torvosaurus, and the thyreophore Stegosaurus (some of which are also iconic dinosaurs). The intercontinental presence of other forms, such as the ornithopod Camptosaurus and the sauropod Supersaurus, is a matter of debate”.

Do history or palaeontology textbooks need to be revised?

“No, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t a highly interesting piece of research. Good palaeontology articles usually make contributions that enhance scientific understanding. Very few publications actually ‘change history or palaeontology textbooks’.”

What are the implications?

“The first implication is the presence of Diplodocus in Europe, which is in itself a novelty. It allows us to add a new genus to the list of intercontinental dinosaurs known to have lived in both North America and Europe. Furthermore, it increases the diversity of dinosaurs in the Late Jurassic of Iberia.”