First Diplodocus fossil outside North America found in Spain
A 150-million-year-old sauropod from Teruel, Spain, has been identified as the first confirmed Diplodocus outside North America. The tail vertebrae match the genus's distinctive features. The find suggests dinosaurs moved between continents during the Late Jurassic.
The specimen consists of 14 tail vertebrae and associated chevron bones, recovered from the La Tejería site in El Castellar, Teruel. Researchers matched the bones to Diplodocus through a combination of distinctive anatomical features and multiple evolutionary analyses that consistently pointed to the genus. At roughly 25 meters long, the animal rivals its North American relatives in size, ranking among the largest sauropods yet found in Spain's Jurassic deposits.
Previously, every confirmed Diplodocus fossil had come from the Morrison Formation in the western United States. The Spanish find, dated to about 150 million years ago, strengthens the case that sauropods crossed between continents during periods of lowered sea levels in the proto-North Atlantic, when temporary land connections may have emerged.
This discovery could reshape how paleontologists model dinosaur dispersal patterns, potentially revising textbook assumptions about Late Jurassic geography. For the public, it may elevate Spain's fossil sites as globally significant, possibly boosting regional scientific tourism and educational interest in Teruel. The find also underscores how major museum icons like Diplodocus had broader ranges than once thought, which could influence how natural history exhibits frame dinosaur distribution and continental drift narratives.