May 25, 2023: The bipedal dinosaur, which lived approximately 126–127 million years ago, was 33–36 feet long and weighed about 2 tonnes. Continue reading to know more!
An astonishing dinosaur with an elongated, somewhat crocodile-like skull was on the hunt for a meal during the Cretaceous Period in a lush coastal region of eastern Spain, its curved and serrated teeth capable of ripping the flesh of its target.
In the Spanish province of Castellon's town of Cinctorres, archaeologists on Thursday announced the discovery of a portion of a dinosaur skeleton belonging to a previously undiscovered species. This discovery contributes to our understanding of a highly successful species of meat-eaters that hunted both on land and in the water.
The Protathlitis cinctorrensis bipedal dinosaur was around 33 to 36 feet (10 to 11 metres) long and weighed about 2 tonnes when it lived approximately 126 to 127 million years ago. It belonged to a class of dinosaurs known as spinosaurs, whose largest member, Spinosaurus, was one of the biggest meat-eating dinosaurs ever discovered.
Spinosaurus itself belonged to a wider group of dinosaurs known as theropods that also included all of the dinosaurs that consumed meat, such as the enormous Tyrannosaurus from North America and Giganotosaurus from South America, as well as birds.
The right upper jawbone, one tooth, and five vertebrae of the recently discovered dinosaur are all that are known about it. Its scientific name refers to the dinosaur as a "champion from Cinctorres", in honour of the nearby football team Villarreal's 2021 UEFA Europa League victory.
Dinosaurs are a diversified group of reptiles that initially appeared in the Triassic period, between 245 to 233.23 million years ago (mya), while a current study continues to attempt to determine the precise beginning and timing of dinosaur evolution.
