Fossil Map
Interactive fossil Map of Protathlitis, along with its chronological bar chart of fossil discoveries.
In Depth
Protathlitis is a genus of baryonychine spinosaurid dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Spain. The fossils were discovered in the Arcillas de Morella Formation, dating to the Barremian stage about 129–125 million years ago. The genus was named in 2023 based on partial remains including a maxilla and vertebrae.
The remains identify it as a baryonychine, a subgroup of spinosaurs with long, narrow snouts and finely serrated teeth adapted for catching fish.
The name Protathlitis means “champion,” chosen to honor the Villarreal football club, whose stadium is near the discovery site. The type species, Protathlitis cinctorrensis, also references Cinctorres, the municipality where the fossils were unearthed.
The discovery of Protathlitis adds to evidence that spinosaurs had a long history in Europe, with baryonychines appearing earlier in the fossil record. The find also helps fill gaps in the early diversification of spinosaurids before their spread into Africa and beyond.
