Most of these fossils are concentrated north of Lisbon in an area known as Lourinhã. I learned at a Lourinhã museum that the area was once a large, low-lying wetland characterized by a confluence of rivers, marshes, and shallow inland seas. Scientists believe that powerful natural phenomena such as storms and floods carried dinosaurs and other prehistoric life in from other areas—including other parts of Europe—where they joined the creatures who died locally and were quickly buried in mud. The fact that they were buried extremely fast made it more likely that they would turn into fossils.
Below is a list of some of the most notable dinosaurs discovered in Lourinhã.
This area is also world-renowned for the discovery of egg and juvenile fossils, among them nests containing as many as a hundred eggs. Fossilized juveniles are being studied for clues to the dinosaur growth process and evolutionary changes.
Many other prehistoric life forms besides dinosaurs are being discovered in Lourinhã as well.
I have noticed several newsworthy discoveries just since the start of this year.
April 2: The international Journal of Systematic Palaeontology reported the discovery of Cariocecus bocagei, a bipedal, herbivorous dinosaur belonging to the Iguanodontia group. Its cheekbone and maxilla are fused, an adaptation that may have helped it chew better.
May 19: A new mammal called Cambelodon torreensis was discovered, thought to have walked the earth during the late Jurassic (about 100 million years ago). It walked on all fours and was about the size of a squirrel, with unusual teeth that suggest it was capable of eating both plants and meat.
March 16: Although not a dinosaur, a new species of primitive reptile named Marmoretta drescherae was identified. It lived in Portugal during the late Jurassic (about 150 million years ago).
Why do dinosaurs continue to fascinate people? I think the scientists who study and excavate them are driven by a curiosity about these creatures who lived so very long ago—they’re chasing a dream, which lends an air of romance to their work.
Dinosaurs are a familiar presence in any household with boys. The largest carnivorous dinosaur fossils in Europe were actually discovered by Octávio Mateus when he was just nine years old. He continued to excavate and study them, and has since become one of Europe’s leading dinosaur experts. It was a moment that ended up changing his life.
Whenever I go to the beach or hiking with my son, we’re always on the lookout for fossils. This summer, we visited the coast of Porto Dinheiro, where dinosaur fossils have been discovered. I had no idea how to go about looking for them, but after examining the rocks for some time, my eyes began to adjust, and I was able to notice more subtle things. While everyone else was enjoying the beach in the summer heat, my son and I were completely absorbed in our search. We saw something buried in stone that looked like a fossil. We couldn’t get it out, but we took a picture, and even that was deeply satisfying. With so many fossils being discovered lately, it would be fun to continue the search when we have time.
When my son turned nine years old, I told him the story about young Octávio Mateus discovering the fossilized dinosaur tooth when he was his age. I fondly remember him asking me whether he could just quietly hide a fossil away in his pocket if he ever found one.
