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The end of the Cretaceous Period, 66 million years ago, marked the dramatic extinction of the dinosaurs. Until now, our understanding of this mass extinction has been largely shaped by fossils from North America. However, a recent study led by Verónica Díez Díaz from the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, identifying two new dinosaur species from Romania, highlights the crucial role of European fossil discoveries in providing a more comprehensive picture of this extinction episode.
The researchers report on two new sauropod species, Petrustitan hungaricus and Uriash kadici, found in the fossil-rich Hațeg Basin in western Romania. Their findings reveal that the diversity of these long-necked plant-eating dinosaurs in Europe during the Late Cretaceous was far greater than previously thought. Fifteen years ago, only five sauropod species were known from this time period. As of now, at least 11 have been identified – a stark contrast to North America, where only one sauropod species from the same epoch has been documented.
"The extraordinary diversity in a small geographic area like Hațeg Island is remarkable," says Díez Díaz. "Here, sauropods of various sizes coexisted: from giants over 10 meters long and weighting eight tons to dwarfs just 2.5 meters in length and less than one ton weight. This provides fascinating insights into the environmental conditions that allowed the coexistence of different species."
Traditionally, it was believed that the dinosaurs of Hațeg Island adapted to their limited habitat by becoming smaller – a phenomenon known as "island dwarfism." However, the discovery of the large sauropod Uriash challenges this assumption. "Local evolution was more complex than previously thought, showing that not all species reduced their size," adds Zoltán Csiki-Sava from the University of Bucharest.
The study also highlights connections between European dinosaurs and their relatives in Africa, Asia, and South America. “Migrations facilitated by temporary land bridges or even swimming across seas more than 500 kilometres may have contributed to this diversity” explains Paul Upchurch from University College London, and Philip Mannion, his institutional colleague and another co-author to the study, completes: "Some of these dinosaurs were descendants of earlier faunas, while others arrived in the region only recently".
Although this research has expanded our understanding of European titanosaurs, much remains to be discovered. "New fossil sites continually provide fresh material that helps us better understand the past," emphasizes Díez Díaz. "With financial support from institutions like the Royal Society and the Jurassic Foundation, we can continue on this exciting path."
The current study has been published in the journal Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. Díez Díaz and her team are confident that Europe’s fossil discoveries will continue to revolutionize our understanding of the Cretaceous Period.
Publication: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14772019.2024.2441516
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