Paleontologists unearthed fossilized bones of a dinosaur in the garden of a house in Portugal in early August.

It could be the largest sauropod ever discovered in Europe.

"It is one of the largest specimens known in Europe, even worldwide," said paleontologist Elisabete Malafaia, from the University of Lisbon, on Monday.

Among all the bones collected, which date from the Jurassic period around 150 million years ago, the researchers notably found the remains of a coast about 3 m long.

The remains of what could be the largest #dinosaur ever found in Europe have been discovered in #Portugal.

The vertebrae and ribs would be those of a brachiosaurid sauropod 25 meters long and 12 meters high https://t.co/4FPAUBFfKq

— Bernadette Arnaud (@NarudaaArnaud) August 27, 2022

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New excavations in the coming months

The first discovery of these fossils dates back to 2017. At the beginning of August, Portuguese and Spanish researchers dug up the remains of the dinosaur to carry out in-depth studies on these fossils.

New excavations could be conducted in the coming months on the site of their discovery as well as in the surrounding region.

Sauropods are herbivorous, quadrupedal dinosaurs that have long necks and long tails.

They can reach up to 12 m high and 25 m long.

They are among the largest animals that have ever lived on Earth.

The fossils discovered in Portugal should belong to an animal of the brachiosaurus family that lived during the Upper Jurassic.

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