At that time, what is now north-eastern Italy was a land facing a vast ocean but connected to western Europe and Asia. This is about 10 million years older than previously thought quite a long time, even when dealing with dinosaurs. New geological data gathered by the team also provided the age of the site and its fossils: approximately 80 million years ago, in the Cretaceous period. In this new study, the research team documents that Antonio is an immature individual, whereas Bruno, which is bigger in size, represents an older individual-and that could have been still growing at the time of its death. This supported the incorrect interpretation that the relatively small, first dinosaur skeleton found at the site (nicknamed Antonio), was actually a dwarf species, an example of the so-called island rule (the evolutionary miniaturization of bigger animals in an insular environment due to the scarcity of resources). Originally, geologists interpreted the area that today is the Villaggio del Pescatore site as part of an island in the middle of a proto-Mediterranean ocean called Tethys. The study also reviews and rewrites many evolutionary hypotheses to interpret the ancient Mediterranean context. The palaeontological site of Villaggio del Pescatore, with people from ZOIC working to extract the fossils from this astounding dinosaur trove. Skeletal reconstructions of the two individuals of Tethyshadros insularis, with the immature specimen nicknamed 'Antonio' (above) and the mature, newly described skeleton of 'Bruno' below. Ferrieri (courtesy of Soprintendenza Archeologia, belle arti e paesaggio del Friuli-Venezia Giulia) The skeleton of Bruno, an adult individual of the dinosaur Tethyshadros insularis described in this new study. The unique fossils collected from the Villaggio del Pescatore can be admired in Trieste at the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, granted on deposit by the Italian Ministry of Culture. The team describes the skeletons of some of the most beautiful and pristine dinosaurs from the site (in particular of a new individual nicknamed 'Bruno') and highlights the occurrence of seven (probably 11) individuals at the Villaggio del Pescatore.ĭinosaurs are not the only fossil remains from the site: Fish, crocodiles, flying reptiles and even small crustaceans provide a vivid picture of an ancient ecosystem that has no equal worldwide. These beautiful skeletons belong to the species Tethyshadros insularis and represent the biggest and most complete dinosaur ever found in this country. Now, a new study published in Scientific Reports and coordinated by researchers from the University of Bologna unveils the first palaeontological site with multiple, exceptionally complete dinosaur skeletons from Italy: the Villaggio del Pescatore site, located in the Duino-Aurisina municipality, near Trieste, in north-eastern Italy.

Dinosaur island faq