30-07-2026
Vicente D. Crespo, a paleontology researcher at NOVA FCT and the Lourinhã Museum, is taking part in an international study revealing the evolution of amphibians and reptiles in the Iberian Peninsula 16 million years ago. Besides the Portuguese paleontologist, the article's first author is Spanish researcher Rafael Marquina-Blasco, from the University of Valencia.
The study, published in the scientific journal Fossil Record, presents the most comprehensive analysis to date of the reptiles and amphibians (herpetofauna) from the Early Miocene geological period in the Ribesalbes-Alcora region, in Spain. The research is based on the analysis of 4,690 fossil remains collected from 42 sites, which made it possible to reconstruct the ecosystems that existed around 16 million years ago, providing new clues about the origin of today's European reptile and amphibian communities.
The study identified 21 amphibian and reptile taxa, including salamanders, toads, crocodiles, turtles, lizards and snakes. The results show that many of the lineages that are currently part of European fauna were already established during the Early Miocene, a crucial period for the formation of modern ecosystems.
One of the most significant findings is the possible identification of the genus Pyrenasaurus, previously known only from Eocene deposits. If this identification is confirmed, the record would significantly extend this group's evolutionary history, suggesting greater ecological stability in certain regions of the Iberian Peninsula than previously thought.
The researchers used paleoecological methods based on amphibian and reptile ecology to estimate the climatic conditions of the time. The analyses indicate that the region now occupied by eastern Spain was, during many periods, considerably wetter than it is today, with generally higher precipitation levels than at present, alternating between wetter phases and relatively drier periods, in line with previous studies conducted on fossil mammals from the same basin.
For Vicente D. Crespo, this work aims to "help fill one of the biggest knowledge gaps regarding the evolution of amphibians and reptiles in the Iberian Peninsula, being one more step in reconstructing Iberian Miocene ecosystems, now integrating these species with the numerous previous studies carried out on fossil mammals from the Ribesalbes-Alcora Basin."
