A 'NEW' dinosaur has been found in the Teruel area, say archaeologists from the Dinópolis theme park.
They have discovered over 5,000 bones of six different examples of a breed of the prehistoric creature that has not yet been found in the area, below the coal-mine in Santa María de Ariño.
At the same time, they found 348 dinosaur eggs.
These are said to have been of varying sizes and almost certainly of different sexes of dinosaur.
The creatures are said to be different from those found to date, due to their boat-shaped and 'sharp' mouths, whereas most other dinosaurs discovered until now have straighter muzzles.
They are believed to have been plant-eaters of around 7.5 to eight metres in height.
Three of the skulls found are now on display in the Dinópolis museum, and experts have also found teeth, limbs, talons, vertebrae and ribs.
And there could be many more out there, given that the mine is constantly expanding and the archaeological dig below with it.
The area dates back to the Low Cretaceous era, which covers a period of between 100 and 113 million years ago – and very few dinosaur fossils from this time in history are ever found in Europe.
The Teruel archaeological dig, where experts have been working constantly for two years, is one of the most important in the world, and contains some of the best examples of dinosaur remains on the planet.
In a space of around 15 hectares, some 97 areas where Mesozoic vertebrates are concentrated have been uncovered – various species of dinosaurs plus tortoises, crocodiles, fish, plants and invertebrates.
Only 16 per cent of the bones found have been properly restored, and the Foundation remains cryptic about the reasons why: they say they are embarking on a 'spectacular project' which will allow them to 'define these dinosaurs in a way they would not be anywhere else in the world'.
But details of this spectacular project have not been revealed yet, nor has the name of the dinosaur as yet.
Initial information about their investigations has been published in the scientific journal Geoheritage, and has aroused great excitement among those working in a similar field, but the creature's name will not be given until a later edition.
The Dinópolis theme park has seven branches, all in the province of Teruel – Riodeva, Castellote, Rubielos de Mora, Albarracín, Galve, Peñarroya de Tastavins, and Teruel itself.
Ariño is very likely to become the venue for the eighth branch, given this latest discovery.
