New species of meat-eating dinosaur as big as school bus unearthed in Spain
A NEW species of meat-eating dinosaur as big as a school bus has been unearthed.
It was up to 35ft long, 12ft tall and weighed up to five tons.
Experts believe it used its powerful jaws packed with razor-sharp teeth to tear off pieces of flesh by shaking its prey.
The species has been named Protathlitis cinctorrensis — Champion of Cinctorres — after the town in eastern Spain where it was found.
Researcher Dr Andres Santos-Cubedo told journal Scientific Reports: “The beast roamed Earth 127million years ago.”
Protathlitis was a close cousin of Baryonyx — which had a crocodile-like head and whose fossils were discovered in Dorking, Surrey.
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It was also related to Spinosaurus, the biggest carnivore dinosaur ever at up to 50ft long and weighing 20 tons.
Dr Santos-Cubedo said: "Spinosaurs appeared in Laurasia, a large area of land in the northern hemisphere, with two sub-groups of species occupying western Europe.
"They may have later migrated to Africa and Asia where they diversified.
"In Europe, baryonychines like Protathlitis were dominant, while in Africa, spinosaurines like Spinosaurus were most abundant."
