The University of Lisbon, Portugal, released a statement Wednesday claiming that its paleontologists, working with teams from Spain, have excavated the skeletal remains of a brachiosaurus sauropod dinosaur.

The dinosaur was found in the Monte Agudo area near the city of Pombal, Portugal. And the excavation work was done with the cooperation and support of the Pombal City Council. 

In 2017, when a local property owner in Pombal, Portugal found fossilized fragments in his yard, initial work at the site started. And it culminated when experts gathered earlier this month to unearth the massive dinosaur. 

Everyone was shocked at how large and intact the remains appeared to be. So far it appears to be the largest intact dinosaur discovered on the European continent.

Elisabete Malafaia, a University of Lisbon researcher, gave a university press release. “It is not usual to find all the ribs of an animal like this, let alone in this position, maintaining their original anatomical position," she said. 

As part of the onsite research team, Malafia added that "This mode of preservation is relatively uncommon in the fossil record of dinosaurs, in particular sauropods, from the Portuguese Upper Jurassic.”

And she pointed out that the area may have more significant findings.

 “The research in the Monte Agudo paleontological locality confirms that the region of Pombal has an important fossil record of Late Jurassic vertebrates, which in the last decades has provided the discovery of abundant materials very significant for the knowledge of the continental faunas that inhabited the Iberian Peninsula at about 145 million years ago”, Malafaia added.

Sauropod dinosaur 

According to the American Museum of Natural History brachiosaurus sauropods walked on four legs. And the plant-eaters often used their long necks to eat from tall trees. 

The brachiosaurus sauropod with immensely long necks and tails is estimated to be one of the largest dinosaurs ever discovered. The word "sauropod" is Greek for "lizard foot." 

Based on what has already been uncovered the sauropod will be roughly 39 feet tall and 82 feet long. And although they were large, they didn’t prey on other dinosaurs for food.

These dinosaurs roamed the earth for millions of years. And the one found in Monte Agudo is estimated to have lived more than 140 million years ago.

Paleontologists continue working on the dig. And remain hopeful that the entire skeleton is intact.