The brand-new types, Paludohadros proudloviicame from the iguanodontians, a group of plant-eating dinosaurs understood for the spikes on their thumbs.

The animal resided in the swampy lowlands of what is now Surrey, southern England, throughout the Early Cretaceous, around 125 million years back.

It is the very first iguanodontian dinosaur to be officially called from the Weald Clay Formation of Smokejacks Brickworks, the geological layer where it was discovered.

“Iguanodontia was among the very first dinosaur groups to be called and is among the most varied and prevalent ornithischian clades, with fossils understood from the Middle Jurassic to the Late Cretaceous,” stated lead author Ricardo Sacamoto, a Ph.D. trainee at the Natural History Museum, London and the University of São Paulo, and his associates.

“It consists of the very first called ornithischian genus, Iguanodonand was specified in 2021 as the tiniest clade including Dryosaurus altus Iguanodon bernissartensis Rhabdodon priscusand Tenontosaurus tilletti“

“The clade’s variety was fairly low throughout the Jurassic, although current descriptions and reinterpretations recommend a higher variety than formerly believed.”

The Paludohadros proudlovii private, about 5 m (16 feet) long and weighing an approximated 1.5 to 2 loads, had to do with the size of a rhinoceros.

Its bones had actually not totally developed, so it was most likely a juvenile that might have grown to two times that size.

Paludohadros proudlovii is the very first types I’ve ever called and I’m honored to have actually had the ability to deal with it,” Sacamoto stated.

“I still keep in mind the unbelievable minute when I understood that this was a brand-new types that nobody had actually ever recognized before.”

Paludohadros proudlovii was discovered simply 100 m (328 feet) far from Baryonyxwhose fossils we likewise care for at the Natural History Museum, London,” stated senior author Professor Susannah Maidment, a paleontologist at the Natural History Museum, London and the University of Birmingham.

“While Baryonyx is best understood for consuming fish, this dinosaur’s last meal likewise consisted of an infant iguanodontian.”

“We can’t inform for specific which types this originated from, so it’s possible that Baryonyx might have been scavenging on the remains of young Paludohadros proudlovii and even searching them when it had the chance.”

A paper explaining the discovery was released today in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology

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Ricardo J. Sacamoto et al2026. A brand-new iguanodontian dinosaur from the Weald Clay Formation (Lower Cretaceous) of Smokejacks Brickworks, southern England. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 24 (2 ); doi: 10.1080/ 14772019.2026.2726221