Stegosaurs of eastern Spain: Taxonomy, diversity, and ecology (free pdf)
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Ben Creisler
Mar 23, 2026, 11:04:45 AM (11 days ago) Mar 23
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Ben Creisler
A new paper:
Free pdf:
Sergio Sánchez-Fenollosa, Alberto Cobos, and Maite Suñer (2026)
The plated dinosaurs (Ornithischia, Stegosauria) of eastern Iberia (Spain): Taxonomy, diversity, and ecology.
Palaeontologia Electronica, 29(1):a13.
doi: https://doi.org/10.26879/1637
https://palaeo-electronica.org/content/2026/5818-stegosaurs-of-eastern-iberia
Although stegosaurs have a long history in Europe, they were first discovered in Spain only in the late twentieth century. Since then, discoveries have increased markedly, particularly in the provinces of Teruel and Valencia (eastern Spain). In this work, several new specimens from the Villar del Arzobispo Formation are systematically studied. Recovered from nine fossil sites, they are referred to as Stegosauria indet., Neostegosauria indet., and Dacentrurinae indet., thereby expanding the known stegosaurian record. The Spanish ‘historical material’ is also revisited and systematically reassessed, revealing that this collection is currently dispersed across several institutions and collections. Furthermore, the review of all known specimens from the region results in the taxonomic reassignment of additional material. The stegosaurian record is exclusively composed by dacentrurines, which exhibit high morphological homogeneity. Four specimens can be attributed to Dacentrurus armatus, with no current evidence for additional dacentrurine species or the presence of stegosaurines. The abundance of D. armatus and indeterminate dacentrurine remains suggests these stegosaurs were very common and firmly established in the Late Jurassic coastal ecosystems of eastern Iberia. In contrast, the absence of stegosaurines likely reflects ecological preferences for inland biotopes, together with fossilization bias. The richness and good preservation of both osteological and ichnological record make the eastern Iberian Peninsula one of the most important regions worldwide for the study of these dinosaurs.
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Sergio Sánchez-Fenollosa, Alberto Cobos, and Maite Suñer (2026)
The plated dinosaurs (Ornithischia, Stegosauria) of eastern Iberia (Spain): Taxonomy, diversity, and ecology.
Palaeontologia Electronica, 29(1):a13.
doi: https://doi.org/10.26879/1637
https://palaeo-electronica.org/content/2026/5818-stegosaurs-of-eastern-iberia
Although stegosaurs have a long history in Europe, they were first discovered in Spain only in the late twentieth century. Since then, discoveries have increased markedly, particularly in the provinces of Teruel and Valencia (eastern Spain). In this work, several new specimens from the Villar del Arzobispo Formation are systematically studied. Recovered from nine fossil sites, they are referred to as Stegosauria indet., Neostegosauria indet., and Dacentrurinae indet., thereby expanding the known stegosaurian record. The Spanish ‘historical material’ is also revisited and systematically reassessed, revealing that this collection is currently dispersed across several institutions and collections. Furthermore, the review of all known specimens from the region results in the taxonomic reassignment of additional material. The stegosaurian record is exclusively composed by dacentrurines, which exhibit high morphological homogeneity. Four specimens can be attributed to Dacentrurus armatus, with no current evidence for additional dacentrurine species or the presence of stegosaurines. The abundance of D. armatus and indeterminate dacentrurine remains suggests these stegosaurs were very common and firmly established in the Late Jurassic coastal ecosystems of eastern Iberia. In contrast, the absence of stegosaurines likely reflects ecological preferences for inland biotopes, together with fossilization bias. The richness and good preservation of both osteological and ichnological record make the eastern Iberian Peninsula one of the most important regions worldwide for the study of these dinosaurs.
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