Paleontologists in Spain have unearthed a remarkably small dinosaur species – roughly the size of a modern chicken – that is forcing scientists to rethink established theories about dinosaur evolution. The discovery, detailed in a new study published in Papers in Paleontology, centers on Foskeia pelendonum, a plant-eating dinosaur that roamed what is now northern Spain approximately 125 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous period.
Unique Anatomy and Feeding Habits
Foskeia pelendonum measured roughly half a meter in length and possessed an unusual skull structure combined with specialized teeth. Researchers suggest this unique anatomy indicates a previously unknown feeding method, potentially differing significantly from other ornithischian (“bird-hipped”) dinosaurs.
“Its anatomy is weird in precisely the kind of way that rewrites evolutionary trees,” stated Penélope Cruzado-Caballero, an associate professor at the University of La Laguna and a co-author on the study.
The dinosaur’s diminutive size is also noteworthy. The fossils, first discovered by Fidel Torcida Fernández-Baldor at the Dinosaur Museum in Salas de los Infantes, were immediately recognized as exceptionally small for their age and lineage.
Implications for Dinosaur Phylogeny
The finding could reshape our understanding of ornithischian evolution. While bird-hipped dinosaurs include iconic species like stegosaurs and hadrosaurs, the lineage has remained partially obscured due to incomplete fossil records. Foskeia pelendonum ’s unusual traits suggest that early ornithischians were more diverse in their adaptations than previously assumed.
The discovery highlights how much remains unknown about dinosaur evolution, even with decades of research. Small-bodied dinosaurs are rarely preserved, meaning the Foskeia pelendonum fossils offer a rare glimpse into a previously hidden branch of the dinosaur family tree.
This species provides key evidence that early ornithischians experimented with a wider range of feeding strategies and body sizes than previously thought, challenging current models of their evolutionary history.
