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Unusual "Sail-Backed" dinosaur found in Spain

Monday, 04 January 2016 11:22 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 04 January 2016 11:24 PM ]

A new ‘sail-backed’ dinosaur is reported to have been found by Spanish scientists in Morella, Castellón.

The dinosaur species was showcased during a ceremony attended by prominent paleontologists at the Spanish University of Morella. The bones discovered have been placed in an exhibition alongside a graphic recreation of the dinosaur. The medium-sized dinosaur was around six meters long and two and a half meters high. The presence of tall spines on dorsal vertebrae is the most prominent feature of the giant reptile.

"The sail could help in heat exchange - thermoregulation - focused on releasing excess body heat into the environment, like the ears of the modern-day elephants, or as a storage place for fat to be used during periods of low food supply," said Dr Fernando Escaso, assistant professor at Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia,

“We knew the dinosaur fauna from Morella was similar to those of other contemporary European sites. However, this discovery shows an interesting rise of the iguanodontoid diversity in southern Europe around 125 million years ago,” he said.

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