Dinosaurs A to Z
Spinosauridae

Iberospinus

"Iberian spine"

Generic theropod body-plan outline
You 1.8 m (5.9 ft) tall
Iberospinus 5 m (16.4 ft) long
as long as 3 people standing fingertip to fingertip
generic theropod body plan, scaled to length — not a silhouette of Iberospinus
Length
5 m (16.4 ft)
Period
Early Cretaceous (129.4–125 Mya)
Place
Europe · Spain · Portugal
Food
Piscivore (fish-eater)
Clade
Spinosauridae Dinosauria Saurischia Theropoda Crocodile-snouted fish-eaters with sail or hump.

Iberospinus (meaning “Iberian spine”) is an extinct genus of spinosaurid dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous (Barremian) Papo Seco Formation of Portugal. The genus contains a single species, I. natarioi, known from several assorted bones belonging to one individual. Iberospinus represents one of five known spinosaurid taxa from the Iberian Peninsula, the others being Camarillasaurus, Protathlitis, Riojavenatrix, and Vallibonavenatrix. It is important for its implications of the geographical origin of Spinosauridae and the suggested presence of potentially semi-aquatic lifestyle earlier in the evolution of this clade.

What we know

  • Named by Mateus & Estraviz-López, 2022.
  • Fossils found in Europe and Spain.

What we guess

The reconstruction notes for Iberospinus — soft tissue, color, behavior — haven't been written up yet. Only the recorded basics above are filled in so far.