New species of dinosaur discovered in Lourinhã

The presence of the Torvosaurus dinosaur species in Portugal had already been documented among the diverse fauna found in Lourinhã. The fossils studied by Christophe Hendrickx and Octávio Mateus were attributed to the Torvosaurus tanneri species, but during their study, the researchers found significant anatomical differences. The article published in the scientific journal PLOS One describes the anatomical characteristics that justify the name of this new species— Torvosaurus gurneyi.

With fewer than 11 teeth in the maxilla and interdental plates different from those of the species T. tanneri, the now named Torvosaurus gurneyi is the largest predator discovered to date in Europe and the largest theropod found in Portugal. This species of dinosaur is believed to have inhabited the earth during the Late Jurassic period, approximately 150 million years ago.

The study is supported by FCT through the project "Dinoeggs – Dinosaur Eggs and Embryos from Portugal: Paleobiological Implications and Paleoenvironmental Context," for which Octávio Mateus is the Principal Investigator, and a Studentship for Christoph Hendrickx.