New species of dinosaur discovered in Lourinhã

The presence of the Torvosaurus din osaur 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 species Torvosaurus tanneri, but in the course of their study the researchers found significant anatomical differences. The article published in the scientific journal PLOS One describes the anatomical features that justify the name of this new species - Torvosaurus gurneyi.

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

The study has the support of FCT through the project "Dinoeggs - Eggs and Embryos of Dinosaurs from Portugal: Paleobiological Implications and Paleoenvironmental Framework", of which Octávio Mateus is Principal Investigator, and a PhD Studentship for Christoph Hendrickx.