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New Iguanosaur Fossil Discovered in Portugal's Cretaceous Era

9/24/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Researchers discovered an iguanodontian, Cariocecus bocagei, in Portugal, dating to 125 million years ago.
Fossils from Papo Seco Formation along the Setúbal Peninsula include Portugal's first partial skull.
Fused maxilla and jugal bones indicate a species.
Micro-CT scans reveal brain-structure and tooth-replacement patterns.
The find expands Early Cretaceous ecology and suggests iguanodontian species, as published in Journal of Systematic Palaeontology.

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Story summary

Researchers discovered an iguanodontian, Cariocecus bocagei, in Portugal, dating to 125 million years ago.
Fossils from Papo Seco Formation along the Setúbal Peninsula include Portugal's first partial skull.
Fused maxilla and jugal bones indicate a species.
Micro-CT scans reveal brain-structure and tooth-replacement patterns.
The find expands Early Cretaceous ecology and suggests iguanodontian species, as published in Journal of Systematic Palaeontology.