Paleontologists announced on September 14, 2026, the discovery of the first Diplodocus skeletal remains outside North America at the La Tejería site in El Castellar, Spain. The research, published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, expands the known geographic range of the massive herbivore.
Skeletal remains uncover long-distance prehistoric pathways
Excavations led by the Fundación Dinópolis in the province of Teruel yielded 14 caudal vertebrae and chevron bones dating back 150 million years. The detailed anatomical examination of the 14 tail vertebrae and associated chevron bones proved that the specimen belongs to the genus Diplodocus, which researchers had previously identified only within the borders of the Morrison Formation in North America. Authors described the material as one of the most complete diplodocid skeletons documented across Europe.
The animal remains had remained exclusively tied to North American territory until this discovery in eastern Spain.
Researchers stated that the European fossil record for diplodocids remains sparse and fragmentary despite the global recognition of the dinosaur cast known as Dippy at the Natural History Museum in London. This Spanish finding provides concrete skeletal proof that sauropods crossed land corridors between modern continents during the Late Jurassic epoch.
Continental drift created temporary crossings across ancient waters
Pangea began breaking apart during the Jurassic period as continental blocks slowly shifted across the globe. Geological models indicate that episodic land bridges, shallow waters in the proto-Atlantic Ocean, and cyclical sea level changes enabled massive animals to migrate between separating landmasses. The land was shifting.
- Field excavations along the coastal zones of Spain and Portugal confirm that the Iberian Peninsula served as a temporary geographic link connected to territories forming present-day Canada.
- Geological corridors in the northern hemisphere formed secondary paths that linked North America directly to Scandinavia.
- Southern connections formed similar prehistoric bridges between land masses that now constitute Brazil and Cameroon.
Scientists concluded that this specimen represents strong physical evidence of episodic dispersion and faunal exchange across the North proto-Atlantic during the late Kimmeridgian to early Tithonian boundary. The timeline places these intercontinental crossings exactly 150 million years in the past.
Deposits in the municipality of El Castellar continue yielding ancient specimens that expand the regional inventory of giant sauropods. The Fundación Dinópolis team keeps cataloging dinosaur bones preserved in the geological layers of Teruel. These specific rock layers document the precise era when migrating sauropods walked across prehistoric channels.
Similar dynamic corridors in the southern hemisphere previously linked what is now South America to the African continent. Further south, ancient terrestrial bridges connected territories that today correspond to Brazil and Cameroon.