Fossil discovered of largest ever Eurosaur

A Torvosaurus gurneyi skull as the fossilised remains of what scientists believe is the largest land dinosaur ever to have roamed Europe have been found in Portugal.

The dinosaur, which is a new species named Torvosaurus gurneyi, was up to 10m (33ft) long and weighed between four and five tonnes.

Its head measured 1.15m (3.75ft) from front to back and was filled with blade-shaped teeth up to 10cm (4in) long, suggesting it may have been near the top of the food chain and eaten other large dinosaurs.

Scientists found the bones north of Portugal’s capital, Lisbon, and originally thought they belonged to a species from North America, Torvosaurus tanneri. But comparisons of the shin bone, upper jawbone, teeth, and partial tail vertebrae suggested it was a new species, making it one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs of the Jurassic Period found in this area, living about 150 million years  ago.

The new dinosaur is the second species of Torvosaurus to be named, and scientists believe recently-discovered embryos from Portugal also belong to it.

The findings have been published in the online journal, Public Library Of Science ONE.