Qunkasaura: Spain’s long-necked dinosaur star emerges from a 12,000-fossil find

A new species of sauropod dinosaur that roamed the Earth some 75 million years ago has been unearthed in Spain.

The research team, led by paleontologist Pedro Mocho from the University of Lisbon, has named the new species Qunkasaura pintiquiniestra .

This long-necked dinosaur lived in what is now Cuenca, Spain.

This incredible discovery occurred in 2007 during the construction of the Madrid-Levante high-speed train (AVE) tracks in Cuenca.

Paleontologists stumbled upon a trove of fossils, including a nearly complete skeleton of this new sauropod dinosaur. These herbivorous dinosaurs are known for their massive size, long necks, and long tails.

Since 2007, paleontologists have collected over 12,000 fossils from this palaeontological site called “Lo Hueco.” This makes it one of the most valuable collections of Upper Cretaceous vertebrate fossils in Europe.

Well-preserved remains

Qunkasaura is notable for being among the most complete sauropod skeletons ever unearthed in Europe. The exceptional specimen comprises cervical, dorsal, and caudal vertebrae, portions of the pelvic girdle, and limb elements.

A comprehensive examination of the fossil led researchers to identify it as a previously unknown species of sauropod.

It is a member of the saltasaurid group of sauropods , which are known for their long necks and large bodies. Qunkasaura stands out for its unique tail vertebrae, which could offer new insights into the evolution of non-avian dinosaurs in the Iberian Peninsula region.

Prior to this discovery, researchers had unearthed numerous large, partially complete sauropod dinosaur skeletons at the Lo Hueco site.

“The study of this specimen allowed us to identify for the first time the presence of two distinct lineages of saltasauroids in the same fossil locality. One of these groups, called Lirainosaurinae, is relatively known in the Iberian region and is characterized by small and medium-sized species, which evolved in an island ecosystem,” Mocho said.

The author further explained: “In other words, Europe was a huge archipelago made up of several islands during the Late Cretaceous. However, Qunkasaura belongs to another group of sauropods, represented in the Iberian Peninsula by medium-large species 73 million years ago. This suggests to us that this lineage arrived in the Iberian Peninsula much later than other groups of dinosaurs.”

The newly discovered species is a representative of the Opisthocoelicaudinae group of saltasaurids. The fossil remains of this group are typically found in the northern hemisphere.

​​In contrast, most other Late Cretaceous sauropods from southwestern Europe belong to the Lirainosaurinae group. This group is exclusive to the European continent.

New sauropod group

With this evidence, the paleontologists suggest that Lo Hueco is most likely the only known site where both groups coexisted.

Moreover, they propose a new titanosaur (which includes sauropods) group called Lohuecosauria. This new group “includes representatives of both lineages.”

This discovery suggests that the Iberian Peninsula played a crucial role in the global distribution of these dinosaurs.

As per the press release , the name Qunkasaura pintiquiniestra incorporates several geographic and cultural references associated with the Lo Hueco site.

“Fortunately, the Lo Hueco deposit also preserves several skeletons of sauropod dinosaurs to be determined, which may correspond to new species and which will help us understand how these animals evolved”, added Mocho.

A portion of the Qunkasaura skeleton is currently exhibited at the Paleontological Museum of Castilla-La Mancha in Cuenca, Spain.

The findings were published in the journal Communications Biology.