Skip to content
Category

Fossils of Spain

page 1
Hipparion
Hipparion is an extinct genus of three-toed, medium-sized equine belonging to the extinct tribe Hipparionini, which lived about 10-5 million years ago. While the genus formerly included most hipparionines, the genus is now more narrowly defined as hipparionines from Eurasia spanning the Late Miocene. Hipparion was a mixed-feeder who ate mostly grass, and lived in the savannah biome. Hipparion evolved from Cormohipparion, and went extinct due to environmental changes like cooling climates and decreasing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.
Nummulites
A nummulite is a large lenticular fossil, characterised by its numerous coils, subdivided by septa into chambers. They are the shells of the fossil and present-day marine protozoan Nummulites, a type of foraminiferan. Nummulites commonly vary in diameter from and are common in Eocene to Miocene marine rocks, particularly around southwest Asia and the Mediterranean in the area that once constituted the Tethys Ocean, such as Eocene limestones from Egypt or from Pakistan. Fossils up to six inches wide are found in the Middle Eocene rocks of Turkey. They are valuable as index fossils.
Dakosaurus
Dakosaurus is an extinct genus of crocodylomorph within the family Metriorhynchidae that lived during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous. It was large, with teeth that were serrated and compressed lateromedially (flattened from side to side). The genus was established by Friedrich August von Quenstedt in 1856 for an isolated tooth named Geosaurus maximus by Theodor Plieninger in 1846. Dakosaurus was a carnivore that spent much, if not all, of its life out at sea. The extent of its adaptation to a marine lifestyle means that it is most likely that it mated at sea, but since no eggs or nests
Baculites
Baculites is an extinct genus of heteromorph ammonite cephalopods with almost straight shells. The genus, which lived worldwide throughout most of the Late Cretaceous, and which briefly survived the K-Pg mass extinction event, was named by Lamarck in 1799.
Anoiapithecus brevirostris
Anoiapithecus is an extinct ape genus thought to be closely related to Dryopithecus. Both genera lived during the Miocene, approximately 12 million years ago. Fossil specimens named by Salvador Moyà-Solà are known from the deposits from Spain.
Allodaposuchus
Allodaposuchus is an extinct genus of crocodyliforms that lived in what is now southern Europe during the Campanian and Maastrichtian stages, and possibly the Santonian stage, of the Late Cretaceous. Although generally classified as a non-crocodylian eusuchian crocodylomorph, it is sometimes placed as one of the earliest true crocodylians. Allodaposuchus is one of the most common Late Cretaceous crocodylomorphs from Europe, with fossils known from Romania, Spain, and France.
Anchitherium
Anchitherium (meaning near beast) is a genus of extinct equid with a three-toed hoof. thumb|left|Mandibles Anchitherium was a browsing (leaf eating) horse that originated in the early Miocene of North America, being found as far south as Panama, and subsequently dispersed to Europe and Asia, where it gave rise to the larger bodied genus Sinohippus. It was around high at the shoulder, and probably represented a side-branch of horse evolution that left no modern descendants.
Bernissartia
Bernissartia ('of Bernissart') is an extinct genus of neosuchian crocodyliform that lived in the Early Cretaceous, around 130 million years ago.
Favosites
Favosites is an extinct genus of tabulate coral characterized by polygonal closely packed corallites (giving it the common name "honeycomb coral"). The walls between corallites are pierced by pores known as mural pores which allowed transfer of nutrients between polyps. Favosites, like many corals, thrived in warm sunlit seas, feeding by filtering microscopic plankton with their stinging tentacles and often forming part of reef complexes. The genus had a worldwide distribution from the Late Ordovician to Late Permian. ==Distribution== Favosites had a vast distribution, and its fossils can be
Enchodus
Enchodus (from , 'spear' and 'tooth') is an extinct genus of aulopiform ray-finned fish related to lancetfish and lizardfish. Species of Enchodus flourished during the Late Cretaceous, where they were a widespread component of marine ecosystems worldwide, and there is some evidence that they may have survived to the Paleocene or Eocene; however, this may just represent reworked Cretaceous material.
Gyrodus
Gyrodus (from , 'curved' and 'tooth') is an extinct genus of pycnodontiform ray-finned fish that lived from the Middle Jurassic (Bajocian) to the Early Cretaceous (Barremian).
Europejara olcadesorum
Europejara is a genus of tapejarid pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous (Barremian) of Spain. The type and only species known is Europejara olcadesorum.
Crusafontia
Crusafontia is an extinct genus of mammal from the Cretaceous Camarillas, El Castellar and La Huérguina Formations of Spain. The name of the animal was given in honour of the Spanish paleontologist Miquel Crusafont Pairó.
Diacodexis
Diacodexis is an extinct genus of small herbivorous mammals belonging to the family Diacodexeidae that lived in North America and Europe from 55.4 mya to 46.2 mya, existing for approximately .
Hildoceras
thumb|Recreation of Hildoceras thumb|Hildoceras species from the Toarcian Bifrons Zone of the Gerecse Mts, Hungary. Collection Eötvös University, Dep. Palaeontology, Budapest. Hildoceras is a genus of ammonite from the Jurassic period in the family Hildoceratidae. The shells are characterized by a narrow discoidal evolute shape, keeled venter, concave ribs along the outer flanks, and a shallow spiral groove running along smooth inner flanks. Whorls slightly overlap, cross sections are compressed. The ventral keel is bordered on either side by a shallow groove. The genus was named by Alpheus Hy
Saurichthys
thumb|left|Saurichthys curionii fossil from the Middle Triassic of [[Monte San Giorgio, Switzerland]] thumb|left|Early Triassic and [[Middle Triassic marine predators: 3. Saurichthys]]
Atrypa
Atrypa is a genus of brachiopod with round to short egg-shaped shells covered with many fine radial ridges (or costae). Growth lines form perpendicular to the costae and are spaced approximately 2 to 3 times further apart than the costae.. The pedunculate valve is slightly convex, but oftentimes levels out or becomes slightly concave toward the anterior margin (opposite the hinge and pedicle). The brachial valve is highly convex. Neither valve contains an interarea (a flat area bordering the hinge line, approximately perpendicular with the rest of the valve). Atrypa had a large geographic rang
Mesoparapylocheles michaeljacksoni
species of hermit crabs (fossil)
Hispanotherium
Hispanotherium is an extinct genus of rhinocerotid of the tribe Elasmotheriini endemic to Europe and Asia during the Miocene living from 16 to 7.25 mya existing for approximately .
Leptaena
Leptaena is an extinct genus of mid-sized brachiopod that existed from the Dariwilian epoch to the Emsian epoch, though some specimens have been found in strata as late in age as the Tournasian epoch. Like some other Strophomenids, Lepteana were epifaunal, meaning they lived on top of the seafloor, not buried within it, and were suspension feeders.
Caturus
Caturus (from , 'down' and 'tail') is an extinct genus of predatory marine fishes in the family Caturidae in the order Amiiformes, related to modern bowfin. It has been suggested that the genus is non-monophyletic with respect to other caturid genera.
Cosesaurus
Cosesaurus is a genus of archosauromorph reptiles likely belonging to the family Tanystropheidae. It is known from fossil imprints of a single small skeleton, MGB V1, which was found in Muschelkalk outcrops near the municipalities of Mont-ral and Alcover in Spain. These outcrops are dated to the Ladinian age of the middle Triassic about 242 to 237 million years ago. The specimen is stored at the Museu Martorell (a.k.a. the Museu Geologia de Barcelona), which is now part of the Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona. The poor preservation and likely juvenile nature of the specimen has led to t
Platystrophia
Platystrophia is an extinct genus of brachiopods that lived from the Ordovician to the Silurian in Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. It has a prominent sulcus and fold. It usually lived in marine lime mud and sands.
Iberosuchus
Iberosuchus (meaning "Iberian crocodile") is a genus of extinct sebecosuchian mesoeucrocodylian found in Western Europe from the Eocene. Remains from Portugal was described in 1975 by Antunes as a sebecosuchian crocodilian. This genus has one species: I. macrodon (meaning "large toothed). Iberosuchus was a carnivore. Unlike the crocodilians today, they were not aquatic but were instead terrestrial.
Amiopsis
Amiopsis is an extinct genus of freshwater and marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Amiidae, making it closely related to the modern bowfin. Fossils are known from the Late Jurassic Solnhofen Limestone, Germany (A. lepidota), the Early Cretaceous Purbeck Group, England (A. damoni), La Pedrera de Rúbies Formation, Spain (A. woodwardi) and Bernnissant Iguanodon locality, Belgium (A. dolloi) and the Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) of the Balkans (A. prisca type species). The monophyly of the genus is questionable, due to it being based on a single character, "the presence of three or more
Ogresuchus
Ogresuchus is an extinct crocodylomorph known from the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian stage) Tremp Formation in Spain. The type species, O. furatus, was named in 2020. It was a small crocodylomorph, measuring long and weighing about . Initially classified as a sebecid, a 2026 study suggested that it was a neosuchian, possibly an atoposaurid.
Celtedens
Celtedens is an extinct genus of albanerpetontid amphibian from the Early Cretaceous of England, Spain, Sweden and Italy, and the Late Jurassic of Portugal.
Trimerocephalus
Trimerocephalus is a genus of eyeless trilobites from the order Phacopida, family Phacopidae. It lived during the final stage of the Devonian, the Famennian, and became extinct at the end of this stage, together with all other trilobites with the exception of some Proetida. It can be found in Australia, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Iran, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Poland, the Russian Federation (Urals), Spain, and the United Kingdom (England).
Mucrospirifer
Mucrospirifer is a genus of extinct brachiopods in the class Rhynchonellata (Articulata) and the order Spiriferida. They are sometimes known as "butterfly shells". Like other brachiopods, they were filter feeders. These fossils occur mainly in Middle Devonian strata and appear to occur around the world, except in Australia and Antarctica.
Spinolestes
Spinolestes is an extinct mammal genus from the Early Cretaceous of Spain. A gobiconodontid eutriconodont, it is notable for the remarkable degree of preservation, offering profound insights to the biology of non-therian mammals.
Varanus marathonensis
species of reptile (fossil)
Lohuecosuchus
Lohuecosuchus (meaning "Lo Hueco crocodile") is an extinct genus of allodaposuchid eusuchian crocodylomorph that lived during the Late Cretaceous (late Campanian to early Maastrichtian) in what is now Spain and southern France.
Gyrolepis
Gyrolepis is an extinct genus of prehistoric ray-finned fish from the Middle-Late Triassic epochs in what is now Europe. It is known both from complete specimens and isolated skeletal elements, such as scales or teeth. thumb|left|Isolated teeth and scales ascribed to Gyrolepis
Orce Man
equine fossil mistaken as an early human
Polysternon
Polysternon is a genus of turtles in the extinct family Bothremydidae. It was described by Portis in 1882, and contains the species P. provinciale (originally placed in the genus Pleurosternon), which existed during the Cretaceous of what is now France and a new species, P. isonae, from the Late Maastrichtian of Spain.
Sabresuchus
Sabresuchus is an extinct genus of neosuchian crocodyliform from the Cretaceous of Europe. The name is derived from 'Sabre' in reference to the enlarged and curved fifth maxillary tooth, and 'suchus' from the Ancient Greek for crocodile.
Iberospondylus
Iberospondylus is an extinct genus of basal temnospondyl amphibian which lived in a marine environment. The type material was found in the Emma Quarry Amphibian Bed of the Puertollano Basin, Ciudad Real province, southern Spain and extended the record for temnospondyls on the peninsula by 45 million years. Along with the holotype, a skull with several disarticulated vertebrae and ribs, two other partial skeletons are known. The name is derived from "Iberia" name of the peninsula where Spain is located, plus "spodylos", Greek for vertebra. The species name is in honor of Dr. Hans-Peter Schultze
Lycyaena
Lycyaena is an extinct genus of terrestrial carnivore in the family Hyaenidae. It has been suggested by R. F. Ewer that Lycyaena may be a possible ancestor to today's aardwolf (Proteles cristatus). Lycyaena lived in Eurasia and North Africa during the Late Miocene.
Magericyon
Magericyon is an extinct genus of amphicyonid ("bear-dog") that lived during the Miocene 10-9 Ma (Vallesian Age) in what is now Spain.
Maledictosuchus
thumb Maledictosuchus is an extinct genus of marine crocodyliform belonging to the family Metriorhynchidae. It is the most basal member of the Rhacheosaurini Tribe with a relatively short body length, measuring based on the type specimen. thumb|left|Holotype skull
Barremites
thumb|250 px|Barremites difficilis (Alcide d'Orbigny|d'Orbigny), [[Barremian, Mala Koutlovitsa (Montana, Bulgaria) at the SUMPHG]] Barremites is an ammonoid cephalopod genus belonging to the family Desmoceratidae, that lived during the Hauterivian and Barremian stages of the Early Cretaceous.
Leptadapis
Leptadapis is an extinct genus of adapiform primate that lived in Europe during the middle Eocene. Fossils of the genus have been found in the Escanilla Formation of Spain, at the sites of La Bouffie and Perrière in France, and at Egerkingen in Switzerland.
Galveodon
Galveodon is an extinct mammal of the Lower Cretaceous. It was a relatively early representative of the also extinct order of Multituberculata.
Berriasella
Berriasella is a discoidal evolute perisphinctacean ammonite, and type genus for the neocomitid subfamily Berriasellinae. Its ribbing is distinct, consisting of both simple and bifurcated ribs that extend from the umbilical seam across the venter; its whorl section generally compressed, the venter more or less narrowly rounded. The species Berriasella jacobi traditionally has been regarded an index fossil defining the base of the Cretaceous, however since 2016 this had been replaced by the first occurrence of Calpionella alpina. Some authors regard B. jacobi as instead belonging to the genus S
Montsecosuchus
Montsecosuchus is an extinct genus of atoposaurid crocodylomorphs. It is the replacement generic name for Alligatorium depereti, which was described in 1915 from the Montsec Lithographic Limestone quarry of Spain. Fossils found from this locality are from the Early Cretaceous, being Upper Berriasian-Lower Valanginian in age, belonging to the La Pedrera de Rúbies Formation While many publications concerning atoposaurids after 1915 have included mentions of A. depereti, none has offered a redescription or revision of the species, though some recognized that great differences existed between it a
Loxaulax valdensis
Loxaulax is a genus of extinct mammal from the Lower Cretaceous of southern England. It was a member of the also extinct order Multituberculata, and lived alongside the dinosaurs. It lies within the suborder "Plagiaulacida" and family Eobaataridae. The genus Loxaulax was named by Simpson G.G. in 1928 based on one species.
Globicetus
Globicetus is an extinct genus of ziphiidae cetaceans, with one species, G. hiberus, from the Miocene of Portugal and Spain. The holotype is a skull in the Museu da Lourinhã, in Portugal. G. hiberus is notable for having a large, spherical mass of bone on its rostrum.
Spitidiscus
thumb|200 px|Spitidiscus seunesi (Wilfrid Kilian|Kilian) [[Barremian, Brestak, Cr1 426X1 (Coll. St. Breskovski) at the Sofia University Museum of Paleontology and Historical Geology]] Spitidiscus is a genus of ammonites placed in the family Holcodiscidae.
Spheroolithus
Spheroolithus is an oogenus of dinosaur egg.
Colobodus
Colobodus is an extinct genus of marine Triassic ray-finned fish of the family Colobodontidae and order Perleidiformes. Fossils have been found in Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland) and China, encompassing the former Tethys Ocean. It could reach body lengths of about .
Bombus cerdanyensis
species of insect (fossil)
Agerinia
Agerinia is a genus of adapiform primate that lived in Europe during the early Eocene. Fossils have been found in the Grès d'Assignan, Lignites de Soissonais, and Calcare d'Agel Formations of France, the Corçà and Escanilla Formations of Spain and the Kuldana Formation of Pakistan.
Arenysuchus
Arenysuchus (meaning "Arén crocodile") is an extinct monospecific genus of allodaposuchid eusuchian crocodylomorph from Late Cretaceous (late Maastrichtian stage) deposits of north Spain. It is known from the holotype MPZ ELI-1, a partial skull from Elías site, and from the referred material MPZ2010/948, MPZ2010/949, MPZ2010/950 and MPZ2010/951, four teeth from Blasi 2 site. It was found by the researchers José Manuel Gasca and Ainara Badiola from the Tremp Formation, in Arén of Huesca, Spain. It was first named by Eduardo Puértolas, José I. Canudo and Penélope Cruzado-Caballero in 2011 a
Agaresuchus
Agaresuchus is an extinct genus of allodaposuchid eusuchian crocodylomorph from the Late Cretaceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian) of Spain. It includes two species, the type species A. fontisensis, and A. subjuniperus, which was originally named as a species of the related genus Allodaposuchus. However, it has been proposed that both species may instead belong to the genus Allodaposuchus.
Acrioceras
Acrioceras is an extinct genus of cephalopods belonging to the ammonite subclass.
Hainina
Hainina is an extinct mammal genus from the latest Cretaceous to the Paleocene of Europe.
Holcodiscus
Holcodiscus is an extinct ammonite genus placed in the family Holcodiscidae. Species in this genus were fast-moving nektonic carnivores. The type species of the genus is Ammonites caillaudianus.
Macroscaphites
Macroscaphites is an extinct cephalopod genus included in the Ammonoidea that lived during the Barremian and Aptian stages of the Early Cretaceous (118 - 110 million years ago). Its fossils have been found throughout most of Europe and North Africa.
Conocoryphe
Conocoryphe is a genus of primarily eyeless trilobites belonging to the family Conocoryphidae. They lived during the Middle Cambrian period, about 505 million years ago. These arthropods lived on the sea bottom (epifaunal) and lived off dead particulate organic matter (a lifestyle called detritivorous).
Pleurosternon
Pleurosternon is an extinct genus of freshwater pleurosternid turtle from the latest Jurassic to earliest Cretaceous of Europe. Its type species, P. bullockii, was described by the paleontologist Richard Owen (noted for coining the word Dinosauria) in 1853. Since then, and throughout the late 19th century, many fossil turtles were incorrectly assigned to this genus, though only two are currently considered valid.