Thrilling: Scientists identify 2 new dinosaur species from Transylvania
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An international research team has classified two newly identified dinosaur species that once inhabited the Hațeg Basin, one of which is notably large—challenging previous assumptions about Transylvanian dinosaurs, according to Zoltán Csiki-Sava from the University of Bucharest.
The research team, composed of experts from the University of Bucharest, the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin, and University College London, identified the two species and named them Petrustitan hungaricus and Uriash kadici. These dinosaurs belonged to the sauropod suborder within the titanosaur family—large, long-necked, four-legged herbivores.
The University of Bucharest announced that the classification of these new species marks a significant step in understanding the diversity of European dinosaurs that lived 70 million years ago. It also provides new insights into their habitats and how they coexisted. With these additions, the number of titanosaurs discovered in what was once Hațeg Island now stands at four.
A breakthrough discovery: larger-than-expected dinosaurs
Details of the new species were published in the scientific journal Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. Zoltán Csiki-Sava, a geologist and researcher at the University of Bucharest’s Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, noted that while the identification of two new species is significant in itself, what makes this discovery particularly intriguing is the notably large size of Uriash kadici.
For years, the prevailing theory about the Hațeg Basin dinosaurs was that they were island dwarfs—an evolutionary response to limited habitat and food availability. “Large herbivores tend to shrink in island environments because space and resources are scarce, forcing them to adapt,” explained Csiki-Sava. Previous discoveries in the region supported this model, as the dinosaurs found so far were considerably smaller than their Western European relatives.
Rethinking island evolution
The newly described Petrustitan hungaricus measured around 3–4 metres in length, similar in size to Magyarosaurus dacus, a species first identified by renowned palaeontologist Ferenc Nopcsa. However, Uriash kadici was nearly four times as long and ten times as heavy. It is estimated to have measured between 9 and 11 metres in length and weighed 8 to 9 tonnes—impressive even by Western European dinosaur standards.