Caletodraco

Caletodraco belongs to a group called Furileusauria, which was previously only known from South America. This suggests that these dinosaurs had a more complex history in Europe than scientists thought.1

The fossils were found in two separate blocks in 2021 and 2023. They fit together perfectly, with only a little bone missing between them.1

Caletodraco lived about 100 to 94 million years ago, during the Cenomanian stage of the Late Cretaceous.3

The dinosaur's bones were discovered in marine chalk, meaning the carcass floated out to sea and sank. A shark tooth was found next to the bones, showing that a shark scavenged on the dead dinosaur.1

The type specimen includes a sacrum, both ilia, the first tail vertebra, and some poorly preserved bones that might be ribs. An isolated tooth was also found nearby.1

Caletodraco is one of the earliest known furileusaurian abelisaurids. Its discovery helps scientists understand how these dinosaurs spread across the world.1