A study led by Portuguese paleontologist Pedro Mocho has identified a new species of sauropod dinosaur that lived 75 million years ago in Cuenca, Spain, the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon (FCUL) announced on Wednesday.

The newly discovered species, named "Qunkasaura pintiquiniestra", was identified through the analysis of fossils unearthed during construction of the Madrid-Levante high-speed railway. These fossils form part of one of the most significant collections of Upper Cretaceous vertebrates in Europe, from the Lo Hueco deposit in Cuenca.

According to Mocho, a paleontologist at the Dom Luiz Institute of FCUL, this species belongs to a lineage of medium-large sauropods, suggesting that this group arrived on the Iberian Peninsula later than other dinosaur groups.

FCUL noted that "Qunkasaura pintiquiniestra" is one of the most complete sauropod fossils ever found in Europe, including vertebrae from the neck, back, and tail, along with parts of the pelvic girdle and limb elements.

The name of the species incorporates geographical and cultural references to the Cuenca area, honoring both the region's history and the legacy of Spanish painter Antonio Saura.

Sauropods are characterized by their enormous size and long necks, with relatively small heads. A part of the dinosaur's skeleton is currently displayed at the Castilla-La Mancha Paleontology Museum in Cuenca. 

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