Histriasaurus

Histriasaurus is named after Istria, the region in Croatia where its bones were discovered.1

Its fossils were found in limestone that was once a lake, now exposed on the seafloor.1

Histriasaurus is one of the oldest known rebbachisaurids, a group of long-necked dinosaurs that lived mainly in the Cretaceous.1

The only known specimen is a single neck vertebra, which scientists used to classify it as a primitive relative of Rebbachisaurus.1

Histriasaurus lived alongside other dinosaurs, including a camarasaurid and a titanosauriform, as well as a small shelled creature called Campanellula capuensis.1

Some scientists think Histriasaurus might be a dubious name, but most recent studies agree it is a valid genus.1