Camarillasaurus (Camarillas Lizard)

Basic facts

  • Early Cretaceous

  • Spain

  • Carnivore

Camarillasaurus, which translates to "Camarillas lizard," is a genus of spinosaurid dinosaur that existed during the Early Cretaceous period, specifically the Barremian stage. These fossils were unearthed in Camarillas, Teruel Province, in what is now northeastern Spain. Initially, when first described in 2014, it was identified as a ceratosaurian theropod. However, in 2021, it was reclassified as a member of the Spinosauridae family.

The remains of Camarillasaurus were found in the Camarillas Formation. In a 2023 study by Santos-Cubedo et al., a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis was conducted. This analysis placed Camarillasaurus as the most basal (early-branching) member of the Spinosauridae family. This means it falls outside of the more derived Baryonychinae/Spinosaurinae split within the family.

The size of Camarillasaurus is unknown due to its fragmentary remains.