Rare dinosaur discovery could be Portugal’s most complete ever – Portugal Resident

Palaeontologists excavating cliffs near Torres Vedras believe they have uncovered what could be the most complete dinosaur skeleton ever found in Portugal, in a discovery they describe as exceptionally rare and of major scientific importance.

Researchers from the Centre for Research in Palaeobiology and Palaeoecology (Ci2Paleo), part of the Natural History Society (SHN), have been carrying out excavations since early June at a site near the mouth of the River Sizandro, where fossil remains were first identified last year.

The discovery began in June 2025, when researcher Luís Domingos spotted part of a dinosaur femur protruding from a cliff during geological survey work. Further investigations led to the recovery of the bone before it could be lost to erosion.

Subsequent excavations uncovered around 45 osteoderms – the bony plates that covered the bodies of armoured dinosaurs – revealing that the specimen belonged to the Ankylosauria, a group of heavily armoured dinosaurs that are exceptionally rare in the Jurassic fossil record.

Bruno Camilo, director of Ci2Paleo and a doctoral researcher at the Instituto Superior Técnico, said the find immediately stood out.

“From the morphology of the femur we realised we were dealing with a very rare animal,” he said.

The fossil dates from the Kimmeridgian stage of the Late Jurassic, around 150 million years ago, making it older than Dracopelta zbyszewski, the only previously known Portuguese ankylosaur, discovered in 1957.

According to the researchers, this also makes the specimen the oldest known ankylosaur from mainland Europe. While similar dinosaurs are known from Middle Jurassic deposits in England, those skeletons are far less complete.

Excavations this summer have revealed an articulated skeleton stretching from parts of the skull to the tip of the tail, measuring around 2.5 metres in length.

Camilo estimates the dinosaur is currently around 85% complete, but believes it could prove to be as much as 95% intact if the missing forelimbs are found beneath the protective armour.

“The body is lying face down, which is highly unusual, as dinosaurs are generally found lying on their side,” he explained.

Because of its exceptional state of preservation, the research team plans to extract the entire fossil as a single block before transporting it for preparation and study.

The dinosaur is thought to have been a juvenile or subadult, as members of its species were relatively small during the Jurassic period.

This year’s excavation campaign involves 22 researchers and students from Portugal, Croatia, Italy, Estonia, Russia, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, with fieldwork expected to continue until the end of September. Local councillors Diogo Guia and Rui Estrela recently visited the excavation site.

Source: CM Torres Vedras