The species has been named obelignathus septimanicus. This new addition lived in the European archipelago around 72 million years ago during the Cretaceous period and is classified within the Ornitopod dinosaur family of Iguanodon Island, specifically in the Rabdodidae family.
Reconstructing obelignathus septimanicus in its Late Cretaceous environment, as depicted in the “Grès à Reptiles” layer, with a Dromaeosaurus in the background. Image credit: Edyta Felcyn-Kowalska.
The Rhabdodontids were medium-sized dinosaurs, potentially bipedal herbivores measuring between 2 and 6 meters (6.6 to 20 feet).
These dinosaurs exhibited stocky builds, characterized by thick limbs, short bodies, long tails, and relatively large triangular skulls.
They thrived in the late Cretaceous European archipelago, a vast collection of small islands located in shallow tropical waters.
This family currently comprises fewer than 10 species, distributed across southern France, northern Spain, eastern Austria, western Hungary, and western Romania.
“Rhabdodontids are typically recognized as endemic groups of leaf-eating dinosaurs from the late Cretaceous European archipelago,” stated Ukaszepians and Dr. Daniel Magia from the Institute of Paleontology at the Polish Academy of Sciences.
“At present, eight to nine different species have been identified based on specimens unearthed from eastern Austria, southern France, western Hungary, western Romania, and northern Spain.”
“However, our understanding of the diversity within Rhabdodontidae and their evolutionary relationships remains incomplete.”
Fossils of obelignathus septimanicus were discovered, with a notable tooth located in the Gresèrepilles layer in southern France.
This specimen has been associated with a previously identified species, “Rhabdodon septimanicus”.
“Rhabdodon septimanicus is recognized as a basal species from the lower part of the Maastrichtian in southern France during the Campanian period,” remarked the paleontologist.
“It was classified based on particularly robust dental remains, which have drawn varying taxonomic interpretations.”
“Our analyses, which include multivariate and phylogenetic evaluations, indicate that this species represents a distinct morphological anomaly among European Rhabdodontomorphs, justifying its categorization into a new genus, obelignathus.”
“While further extensive research, especially in-depth osteological studies, is essential to clarify the taxonomic significance of specific European Rhabdomorphs, our findings suggest that several co-existing sympatric species, particularly in southern France and possibly Romania, display greater diversity than is currently acknowledged,” he added.
The team’s research paper was published in the journal Scientific Reports this week.
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Czepiński & D. Madzia. 2025. A study of the diversity and disparity of Rhabdodontid ornithopods from Late Cretaceous European archipelagos. Sci Rep 15, 15209; doi:10.1038/s41598-025-98083-z
Source: www.sci.news
