Vallibonavenatrix cani

Vallibonavenatrix cani was a spinosaurid theropod dinosaur that lived during the Early Cretaceous period, approximately 127–125 million years ago (Barremian stage), in what is now the province of Castellón, Spain. It is one of the most important spinosaurids discovered in Europe and one of the few Iberian taxa known from relatively diagnostic material. It was described in 2019 by Malafaia and colleagues from remains found at the Santa Águeda site, near Vallibona. The name literally means "the huntress of the Vallibona valley," while the epithet cani honors Santiago Canós.

Classification and Evolutionary Position

Vallibonavenatrix cani belongs to the Spinosauridae, the group that includes well-known forms such as:

• Spinosaurus aegyptiacus
• Baryonyx walkeri
• Suchomimus tenerensis

However, its exact phylogenetic position remains debated. Some analyses place it within Spinosaurinae, closer to Spinosaurus, while other studies suggest it could represent an intermediate form between baryonychines and spinosaurines.

This uncertainty reflects the complex evolution of European spinosaurids during the Early Cretaceous.

Size and Dimensions

The known remains are incomplete, so estimates are approximate.

The most accepted calculations suggest:

• Length: approximately 6–8 meters
• Weight: between 700 and 1,500 kg
• Hip height: around 2 meters

Therefore, it was significantly smaller than Spinosaurus, but comparable to medium-sized specimens of Baryonyx.

Known Fossil Material

The holotype (MGUV 22783) primarily consists of:

• Dorsal vertebrae.
• Rib fragments.
• Pelvic elements.
• Partial remains of the sacral region.

No complete skulls or unequivocally associated teeth of the holotype are currently known, which limits anatomical reconstructions.

However, the vertebrae preserve very important diagnostic features for identifying it as a spinosaurid.

The Most Striking Feature: The Neural Spines

The dorsal vertebrae exhibit:

• Very high neural spines.
• Complex lateral expansions.
• Morphology different from that observed in Baryonyx.

These structures suggest the presence of a relatively developed dorsal sail or muscular hump.

While it probably did not reach the spectacular sail of Spinosaurus, it must have had an elevated dorsal profile that gave it a distinctive silhouette.

Possible functions include:

• Visual display.
• Thermoregulation.
• Storage of energy reserves.
• Specialized muscle attachment.

Currently, the visual display hypothesis is generally considered one of the most plausible.

Inferred Anatomy

Since the skull is not preserved, much of its appearance must be inferred from other spinosaurids.

It likely possessed:

• Long and narrow snout.
• Conical teeth adapted for gripping slippery prey.
• Strong forelimbs with large claws.
• Long tail used for balance.
• Relatively low and elongated body.

In life, it would have resembled a smaller, more primitive version of Suchomimus or Spinosaurus.

Diet and Lifestyle

Like most spinosaurids, it was probably an opportunistic predator associated with aquatic environments.

Its diet may have included:

• Freshwater fish.
• Turtles.
• Juvenile crocodylomorphs.
• Small dinosaurs.
• Occasional carrion.

The Iberian ecosystems of the Barremian were dominated by extensive riverine plains and coastal lagoons, ideal environments for a hunter specialized in aquatic resources.

Paleoenvironment

During the Barremian, the current Iberian Peninsula was part of a subtropical archipelago with:

• Coastal plains.
• Meandering rivers.
• Wetlands.
• Coniferous forests.
• Lagoon and estuarine areas.

In these ecosystems, it coexisted with:

• Primitive iguanodontids.
• Rebbachisaurid and titanosauriform sauropods.
• Crocodylomorphs.
• Turtles.
• Lungfish and actinopterygians.

The diversity of spinosaurids in the Iberian Peninsula suggests that Western Europe was one of the primary initial evolutionary centers of the group.

Scientific Importance

Vallibonavenatrix cani is one of the most relevant spinosaurids in Europe because:

1. It helps to understand the origin and early diversification of Spinosauridae.
2. It reinforces the importance of the Iberian Peninsula as an evolutionary center for this group.
3. It provides unique information on the evolution of dorsal sails in spinosaurids.
4. It demonstrates that the Iberian ecosystems of the Early Cretaceous harbored a greater diversity of large predators than previously thought just two decades ago.

Although still known from relatively fragmentary remains, Vallibonavenatrix cani represents a key piece for reconstructing the evolutionary history of European spinosaurids before the appearance of later giants like Spinosaurus aegyptiacus.

 Approximate measurements of Vallibonavenatrix:

• 1:35 scale Complete
• Length 190 mm
• Height 95 mm
• Width 105 mm
• Snout-to-tail length 250 mm
  
  
• 1:20 scale Assembly kit
• Length 335 mm
• Height 165 mm
• Width 181 mm
• Snout-to-tail length 445 mm