Oldest Dinosaur Fossil Found in Iberian Peninsula, Researchers Say
A single theropod vertebra discovered in southern Portugal may represent the oldest dinosaur remains ever identified on the Iberian Peninsula, according to a study published in Fossil Imprint. The fossil, designated NOVAFCT-DCT-5562, measures 37 mm (1.5 inches) and was found near Penina in the Algarve region, dating to the Late Triassic epoch, over 220 million years ago. Researchers Dr. Rui Tiago dos Santos‑Matos and Dr. Octávio Mateus of Universidade Nova de Lisboa describe the specimen as the first fully land‑dwelling vertebrate from the Silves Group deposits, which previously housed aquatic or semi‑aquatic fauna.
Fossil Challenges Previous Understanding of Triassic Fauna
The Silves Group, a geological formation in southern Portugal, has long been associated with aquatic life, including amphibians, phytosaurs, and fish. The discovery of NOVAFCT-DCT-5562, however, shifts the narrative. “Until now, no dinosaur bone elements have been described from the Triassic of Portugal, although there are some footprints attributed to this clade,” the researchers noted. The vertebra’s placement among neotheropods, a group of early predatory dinosaurs, indicates the presence of a land‑dwelling dinosaur in these deposits.
Evolutionary Analysis Links Fossil to Early Jurassic Species
Comparative analysis of the vertebra with early theropod fossils placed NOVAFCT-DCT-5562 as the closest relative of Sarcosaurus woodi, a species known from Early Jurassic rocks in England. This connection pushes the lineage of Sarcosaurus back to the early/middle Late Triassic, at least 20 million years earlier than previously thought. However, the fragmentary nature of the specimen prevents definitive classification. “NOVA‑FCT‑DCT‑5562 may represent an unknown theropod species, but it lacks autapomorphies and the remains are too fragmentary to attribute to any known species,” the study concludes.
Questions Remain About Evolutionary Position of NOVAFCT-DCT-5562
Yet, the absence of a named species or unique features in NOVAFCT-DCT-5562 leaves questions about its exact evolutionary position.
Unanswered Questions Remain
While the fossil’s age and location are confirmed, its classification as a new species or its precise relationship to Sarcosaurus remain unresolved. For now, NOVAFCT-DCT-5562 stands as a critical, albeit incomplete, piece of evidence in reconstructing the early history of land‑dwelling dinosaurs in Europe.
Silves Group geological context
Study publication in Fossil Imprint
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