A revision of the theropod dinosaur Camarillasaurus cirugedae from the Early Cretaceous of Spain
Final Report Abstract
Camarillasaurus cirugedae from the Barremian of Teruel Province, Spain, is one of only few officially named theropod dinosaurs from the Early Cretaceous of southwestern Europe. It was originally interpreted as an early branching member of the Ceratosauria, necessitating a ghost lineage of some 40 million years. A revision of the original type material revealed numerous misidentification of elements and showed tetanuran and, more specifically, spinosaurid affinities for this taxon. A systematic excavation at the type locality of Camarillasaurus resulted in the recovery of some additional elements most probably pertaining to the same individual as the holotype. This material, especially a partial surangular and articular and a mid-caudal vertebra, further support the identification of Camarillasaurus as a spinosaurid and provide evidence that this taxon represents a valid species. Camarillasaurus is different from the other two taxa of spinosaurids from the Barremian of the Iberian Peninsula, Vallibonavenatrix and Iberospinus, indicating a surprisingly high diversity of these large predatory dinosaurs during that time.
Publications
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2019. A reappraisal of the Early Cretaceous theropod dinosaur Camarillasaurus from Spain. Program and abstracts. XVII Conference of the EAVP – Brussels, Belgium, 2 – 6 July 2019: 96
Rauhut, O.W.M., Canudo, J.I. and Castanera, D.
