On the presence of <i>Allosaurus fragilis</i> (Theropoda: Carnosauria) in the Upper Jurassic of Portugal: first evidence of an intercontinental dinosaur species

Abstract

The species Allosaurus fragilis, from the Morrison Formation of North America (Kimmeridgian–Tithonian, Upper Jurassic), is one of the best known members of the Theropoda, the group including all predatory non-avian dinosaurs and birds. Here, we report on the first diagnostic theropod remains discovered from the Jurassic of the Iberian Peninsula. The specimen is the first evidence of A. fragilis outside North America. Thus, this taxon represents the first dinosaur species found on two different continents, and suggests the existence of a ‘land bridge’ between North America and Europe during the Late Jurassic.