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| The skeletons belong to the species Tethyshadros insularis. Photo Credit: Scientific Reports |
Researchers have now discovered the biggest and most
complete dinosaur skeleton ever found in the country at the site. Fossils of 11
dinosaurs have been unearthed at Villaggio del Pescatore, a former limestone quarry
close to the north-eastern port city of Trieste. The skeletons belong to the
species Tethyshadros insularis, which lived 80 million years ago.
The site — which 80 million years ago formed part of the
ancient Mediterranean area — first came to prominence in 1996 after the
discovery of a dinosaur skeleton that paleontologists named Antonio. They
initially thought it was a “dwarf species,” but later research disputed this.
Now, the researchers believe that Antonio had been a juvenile or young
dinosaur.
Paleontologists have now named the largest of the fossilised
remains among the group as “Bruno.”
Federico Fanti, the lead researcher, said Italy is not known
for dinosaurs. And, although some fossils had been previously found there, now
researchers have a whole herd at one dinosaur site. “Bruno is the biggest and
oldest of the group, and the most complete dinosaur skeleton ever found in
Italy,” Fanti told The Guardian.
“We knew there were dinosaurs at the site after the
discovery of Antonio, but up until now nobody actually checked to see how many.
What we have now are multiple bones belonging to the same herd.”
Researchers have been able to also find fossilised remains
of fish, crocodiles, flying reptiles, and even small shrimp at the site. Some
of the fossils have been put on display at the civic museum of natural history
in Trieste.
The latest findings have been published in the Scientific
Reports journal.
“The Villaggio del Pescatore quarry stands as the most
informative locality within the paleo-Mediterranean region and represents the
first, multi-individual Konservat-Lagerstatte type dinosaur-bearing locality in
Italy,” the researchers wrote.
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