Discovery of Tiny Dinosaur Foskeia pelendonum Sheds Light on Ornithopod Evolution
On February 2, 2026, paleontologists identified a new dinosaur species named Foskeia pelendonum, a small ornithopod from the Early Cretaceous period in Spain. The discovery was made in the regions of Vegagete, Ledanía de Hacinas, and Salas de los Infantes in Castile and León. Researchers involved include Paul-Emile Dieudonné from the National University of Río Negro, Fidel Torcida Fernández-Baldor from the Dinosaur Museum of Salas de los Infantes, and Dr. Koen Stein from Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Histological and phylogenetic analyses were conducted to study the specimen. This finding offers significant new insights into the evolution of ornithopod dinosaurs. The discovery was reported by multiple sources including Mirage News, Phys.org, and India Today shortly after the identification.
