Dinosaur fossils from Castellón, Spain belong to a proposed new species, belonging to the Spinosaurid family, according to a publication in the journal Scientific Reports.

The identification of a possible new species suggests that the Iberian Peninsula may have been an area that hosted medium- to large-sized spinosaurid dinosaurs.

Spinosaurids are often large, bipedal, and carnivorous dinosaurs.

Spinosaurus and baryonyx also belong to this family.

It is believed that Spinosaurids may have originated in Europe and then migrated to Africa and Asia.

The researchers analyzed fossil fragments (a right jaw bone, a tooth and five vertebrae) discovered in the Arcillas de Morella geological formation in Spain and dated to the early Cretaceous period (between 127 and 126 million years ago). Based on the remains, researchers estimate that this dinosaur was about 10-11 meters long.

Based on comparative analysis with other dinosaurs of the Spinosaurid family the authors recognized the specimen as a new genus and species and named it ‘Protathlitis cinctorrensis’ using the Greek word ‘champion’ to designate the genus and the word ‘cinctorrensis’ as reference in the town of Cinctorres, where he was found.