Paleontologists have identified what appear to be Diplodocus bones at the La Tejería site in El Castellar, Teruel, far beyond the dinosaur’s usual North American range. The find could change how scientists understand dinosaur migration and distribution during the Jurassic period.
The team from Fundación Conjunto Paleontológico de Teruel-Dinópolis uncovered fourteen well-preserved tail vertebrae and several chevrons from a large sauropod. Detailed comparisons and phylogenetic analysis led the researchers to place the remains within the Diplodocus genus, previously thought to be exclusive to North America. The study appeared in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. Phys.org and Spanish science outlets have described the specimen as the first confirmed Diplodocus find outside North America. That challenges the long-held belief that the genus was limited to the continent.
Independent reports estimate that the animal could have reached about 25 meters in length. The specimen is thought to be around 150 million years old, dating to the Upper Jurassic. If the identification is confirmed, it would provide the first intercontinental evidence of Diplodocus and suggest these dinosaurs may have crossed land bridges or shallow seas that once connected Europe and North America. The find points to a period when animals could move between continents. Geological layers at La Tejería date to the Late Jurassic, providing context for the discovery. ARA and La Voz de Galicia have reported on the site’s age.
La Tejería has long been a reference point for paleontological research in Teruel. This find has placed the site at the center of a new scientific debate. The remains were uncovered by a team led by Sergio Sánchez-Fenollosa, whose work has drawn fresh attention to the region’s fossil record. The study documents the bones and points to shared species in Europe and North America during the Jurassic, a finding that could change how scientists view prehistoric ecosystems. The vertebrae and chevrons closely match those of Diplodocus. Some independent reports also note a particular similarity to D. hallorum.
The identification still needs further confirmation, though the evidence is strong. The vertebrae’s shape matches Diplodocus, while the context of the find supports the possibility of ancient links between continents. La Voz de Galicia has stressed that the fossil material is fragmentary, so the genus-level attribution needs further verification. Discoveries of this kind are rare and can prompt scientists to reassess established theories, especially when they come from unexpected places.
Spain’s role in paleontology has grown in recent decades, with Teruel’s fossil beds producing several impressive finds. The region’s geological history, shaped by shifting continents and changing sea levels, makes such a migration event possible. If the Diplodocus identification is confirmed, it would raise Teruel’s scientific profile and prompt a fresh look at how dinosaur populations spread and evolved across ancient Earth. The La Tejería discovery challenges established views of dinosaur biogeography. Spain’s fossil record may hold further evidence that could reshape understanding of the prehistoric world.
