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Iberospinus

Say it: eye-BEER-oh-SPY-nus

Name means: “Iberian spine”6

Ate: MeatSpinosaursEarly Cretaceous

Iberospinus was a meat-eating dinosaur that lived about 125 million years ago. It had a long snout and sharp teeth, and it probably hunted near water. Scientists think it was a medium-sized spinosaur, a group known for eating fish.1 2

Lived

126 to 121 million years ago6

Early Cretaceous

Fossils found in

Portugal, specifically at Praia das Aguncheiras in the Papo Seco Formation.6 2

Food

Meat6 2

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

cool stuff

Fun facts

Iberospinus had a single hole in its lower jaw, which is unusual for spinosaurs. This helps scientists tell it apart from its relatives.2

Its lower jaw had a straight bottom edge, not upturned like some other spinosaurs. This is one of the features that makes it unique.2

Iberospinus lived in a lagoon environment with some freshwater and marine influences. Fish scales and teeth are common in the same rocks, so it probably hunted in the water.2

The fossils were first thought to belong to Baryonyx, but new bones found in 2020 showed they were a different dinosaur. That's when scientists named Iberospinus.1 2

Iberospinus is closely related to Baryonyx and Suchomimus, but it is not part of the same group. Scientists think it branched off earlier.1 2

The name Iberospinus means 'Iberian spine', referring to the Iberian Peninsula where it was found. The species name natarioi honors Carlos Natário, who discovered the fossil.2

AI-made picture of Iberospinus — An AI-made picture of how Iberospinus might have looked, made by a computer from what scientists know. It is a guess: the real animal may have looked different, and nobody knows its true colours.

you asked

Most asked questions about Iberospinus

?What did Iberospinus eat?

Iberospinus was a meat-eating dinosaur that probably hunted fish and other aquatic animals, using its crocodile-like jaws and constantly replacing teeth.3

?How big was Iberospinus?

Iberospinus was about 8 metres (26 feet) long, based on estimates from the fossil remains.3

?When did Iberospinus live?

Iberospinus lived about 125 million years ago, during the Early Cretaceous period (Barremian age).4

?Where was Iberospinus found?

Iberospinus was found in the Papo Seco Formation of Portugal, specifically at Praia de Aguncheiras (also known as Praia do Guincho) in the municipality of Sesimbra.5

?Could Iberospinus swim?

Scientists think Iberospinus had a possible semi-aquatic lifestyle, based on features in its tail and toe bones, though it lacked the extreme adaptations of some other spinosaurs.4

?Why is it called Iberospinus?

The name Iberospinus means 'Iberian spine', referring to the Iberian Peninsula where it was found and the long neural spines typical of spinosaurids.4

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Myth buster

Myth: Some people think Iberospinus is the same as Baryonyx because the fossils were once assigned to that dinosaur.

Truth: Scientists now know Iberospinus is a different genus. It has unique features in its jaw and other bones that separate it from Baryonyx.1 2

For dino experts

Scientific name: Iberospinus
Named by: Mateus and Estraviz-López 20226
Group: Spinosaurs
Family / clade: Spinosauridae6
Classification: Theropoda > Spinosauridae6
Age of the rocks: 126 to 121 million years (Barremian)6
Rock formations: Papo Seco6
Countries: Portugal6
Fossil records: 1 in the Paleobiology Database6
Discovery: The first fossils were found by Carlos Natário in Portugal, but they were originally thought to be Baryonyx. After new material was recovered in 2020, scientists Octávio Mateus and Darío Estraviz-López named it Iberospinus natarioi in 2022.2 6
Still debated: Scientists are still debating exactly where Iberospinus fits in the spinosaur family tree. Some features suggest it is related to Baryonyx and Suchomimus, but other features point to a different position.1 2

Where the facts come from

A new theropod dinosaur from the early cretaceous (Barremian) of Cabo Espichel, Portugal: Implications for spinosaurid evolution. - Abstract - Europe PMC (europepmc.org)
A new theropod dinosaur from the early cretaceous (Barremian) of Cabo Espichel, Portugal: Implications for spinosaurid evolution (journals.plos.org)
New dinosaur: Species had teeth that were constantly replaced | New Scientist (newscientist.com)
Iberospinus (en.wikipedia.org)
A new theropod dinosaur from the early cretaceous (Barremian) of Cabo Espichel, Portugal: Implications for spinosaurid evolution | PLOS One (journals.plos.org)
Iberospinus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.

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