Thrilling discovery: Hungarian researchers unearth new dinosaur species – photos

Buckle up for a sensational breakthrough from the Valiora Dinosaur Research Group in Transylvania’s Hatzeg Basin: their digs near the tiny village of Valiora have revealed a brand-new dinosaur species, previously unknown to science.

New dinosaur species in Transylvania

According to 24.hu, this herbivore belongs to the group we call kacsacsőrű dinoszaurus (duck-billed dinosaurs) in Hungarian, or Hadrosauroid in Latin. The site has already yielded thousands of bones around 70 million years old, including remains from mystery creatures.

Previously, similar Hadrosauroid fossils were lumped in with the Telmatosaurus transsylvanicus, discovered 130 years ago. But now, the team has confirmed it’s an entirely distinct species, dubbed Kryptohadros kallaiae. It roamed the Hatzeg Basin and surrounds 1-2 million years before Telmatosaurus. The differences are subtle in overall build, shining through mainly in skull morphology. Both species trace their roots to Asia but branched off on unique evolutionary paths.

A colourful ecosystem

Led by János Magyar, the naming nods to intrigue: ‘Kryptohadros’ highlights how, for nearly 130 years, we knew just one Hadrosauroid from Transylvania—this one lurked in the shadows of Telmatosaurus. ‘Kallaiae’ honours János Magyar’s late mother, Csilla Kállai, who sparked his passion for natural sciences.

The fossils were excavated between 2022 and 2024, with classification wrapping up only now.

János Magyar is a PhD candidate at ELTE’s Department of Palaeontology and a researcher at the Hungarian Natural History Museum’s King István Museum.

As 24.hu reports, “This new species slots another piece into the puzzle of the so-called ‘Hatzeg Island’ ecosystem at the tail end of the Cretaceous. It proves the wildlife there was far more diverse than we ever imagined.”

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