Ornithopod dinosaur remains from the Papo Seco Formation (lower Barremian, Lusitanian Basin, Portugal): a review of old and new finds

Ornithopod remains are reported from the Papo-Seco Formation (lower Barremian, Early Cretaceous) at Cape Espichel, south of Lisbon, in western central Portugal. The fossil material comes from the Boca do Chapim, Praia do Areia do Mastro and Praia do Guincho palaeontological sites. Some fossils are known from the 19(th) century and the beginning of the 20(th) century and other remains have been recently collected. Ornithopod and other vertebrate remains from the Papo-Seco Formation occur in limestones, marls, sandstones and conglomerates in a succession interpreted as being deposited in lagoonal and estuarine environments. A study of the available palaeontological material, including teeth and postcranial remains, suggests the presence of a large styracosternan-like iguanodontian, but does not allow confirmation of the occurrence of Iguanodon or Mantellisaurus. Ornithopod remains from the Papo-Seco Formation are provisionally assigned to Ornithopoda indet., Iguanodontia indet. and cf. Styracosterna indet., increasing the record of Portuguese ornithopods of early Barremian age.