Exciting Discovery: 2 New Dinosaur Species Found in Transylvania by Scientists
An international research team recently made a groundbreaking discovery by classifying two newly identified dinosaur species that once roamed the Hațeg Basin. Led by Zoltán Csiki-Sava from the University of Bucharest, the team found that one of these species is notably large, challenging previous assumptions about Transylvanian dinosaurs.
The two species, named Petrustitan Hungarian and Cadet hunger, belonged to the titanosaur family of sauropods. These large, long-necked, four-legged herbivores provide new insights into the diversity of European dinosaurs that lived 70 million years ago. With these additions, the tally of titanosaurs discovered in the former Hațeg Island now reaches four.
The discovery of Cadet hunger, estimated to be 9 to 11 meters long and weighing 8 to 9 tonnes, challenges the prevailing theory of Hațeg Basin dinosaurs as island dwarfs. While smaller herbivores are common in island environments due to limited resources, Cadet hunger’s size hints at a more complex evolutionary history in the region.
The research team’s reevaluation of old discoveries, including fossils found by renowned palaeontologists like Ferenc Nopcsa and Ottokár Kadic, sheds light on the previously underestimated diversity of dinosaurs in the area. Ongoing excavations in the Hațeg Basin, led by Hungarian geologists, may lead to the identification of more new dinosaur species and further enrich our understanding of prehistoric life.
The Hațeg Basin, part of the Hațeg UNESCO Global Geopark, is a hotspot for palaeontological discoveries and has been a protected area since 2004. With continued research and discoveries, this region promises to unveil more secrets of ancient life on Earth.
