Europasaurus

Discovery and Origin of Name: “Lizard of Europe”

Discovery in the Harz Mountains, Germany

Europasaurus is a herbivorous sauropodomorph whose name means “Lizard of Europe.”
Its fossils were discovered at a site called “Langenberg” near the Harz Mountains in northern Germany.
Found in Late Jurassic strata, these fossils became a significant discovery that challenged existing knowledge about sauropodomorphs.

Dedication and Formal Description

Following research, it was formally described as a new species in 2006.
Its scientific name is Europasaurus holgeri.
This name combines the genus name meaning “reptile from Europe” with the specific name (holgeri) in honor of Holger Lüdtke, the individual who first discovered this dinosaur at the excavation site.

Comparing with Brachiosaurus! A Shocking “Smallness” That Defies Convention

The Shock of a 6.2m Length and 1-Ton Weight

Taxonomically, Europasaurus belongs to the “Brachiosauridae” family within the clade Macronaria.
While Brachiosaurus is synonymous with super-giant dinosaurs reaching lengths of 25 meters and weights of 20 to over 50 tons, the size of Europasaurus was surprisingly small.

• Length: Approx. 6.2 meters max, even for adults
• Weight: Only around 1 ton

Despite belonging to the same group, there is a difference of about 4 times in length and over 20 times in weight.
Experts have even described it by saying, “If we could capture a living individual, a remodeled Indian elephant enclosure at a zoo would be sufficient to keep it.”

The Smallest Existence Among Neosauropoda

Europasaurus is an extremely unique existence among sauropodomorphs, which are mostly large dinosaurs, and is said to be the smallest species currently identified within the “Neosauropoda.”
Why did they become so small despite possessing genes that would typically lead to gigantism?
The key to solving that mystery lay in the “place” where they lived.

The Key to Evolution: “Insular Dwarfism”

Europe Was an “Island” at the Time

The reason Europasaurus became smaller lies in the natural environment unique to Europe during the Mesozoic Jurassic period.
Europe at that time was not a continent as it is today, but an insular region (similar to the Japanese archipelago or Indonesia today) facing a massive ocean called the “Tethys Sea,” with many scattered islands.

“Dwarfism”: A Choice for Survival

It seems the ancestors of Europasaurus arrived on a small island.
There was neither enough food nor vast land to sustain a massive body.

In such a harsh environment with limited food resources and a narrow habitat, “dwarfism” was the evolutionary strategy these large animals adopted to survive.
By making their bodies smaller, they reduced the amount of food they needed, successfully sustaining life within limited resources.

The Phenomenon of Insular Dwarfism

This phenomenon is called “insular dwarfism” and can be seen even in modern animals that are isolated on islands.
Although rare in the dinosaur world, this phenomenon is seen not only in Europasaurus but also in the titanosaur “Magyarosaurus,” which lived in Romania during a later era (Late Cretaceous).

Herd Life and Ecology

Valuable clues regarding the ecology of Europasaurus have also been found at the Langenberg excavation site.
A total of seven individuals were found clustered together, ranging from adults 6.2 meters long to juveniles (children) about 1.7 meters long.

This discovery suggests a high possibility that Europasaurus did not live alone, but moved in “herds” that included both adults and children.
perhaps, on a small island floating in the sea long ago, these small giant dragons huddled together like a family, sharing the limited plants to survive.