PROA
a styracosternnan iguanodont from the Late Cretaceous of Spain
Pronunciation: PRAU
Meaning: Bow (of a ship)
Author/s: McDonald
et al. (
2012)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: Teruel, Spain
Discovery Chart Position: #825
Proa valdearinnoensis
(Bow from Val de Ariño)Etymology
Proa is the Spanish version of the Early modern English "Prow" (bow), because the predentary (the pointed bone at the end of the lower jaw) is similar in shape to a ship's bow (the pointed front part of a boat that helps it pass smoothly through water).
The
species epithet,
valdearinnoensis, means "from "Val de Ariño" in Latin, referring to the traditional name for the part of the Teruel region in which it was found.
Discovery
The remains of
Proa were discovered in an open-pit coal mine in the Escucha Formation at Ariño, Teruel, Aragón, Spain.
The
holotype (AR-1/19) is a partial skull and several unprepared body bones. The paratype (AR-1/48) is a second partial skull. Referred material includes a disarticulated but associated skull and lower jaw (AR-1/57) and two partial skeletons (AR-1/58 and AR-1/70).
Estimations
Timeline:
Era: Mesozoic
Epoch: Early Cretaceous
Stage: Albian
Age range: 112-99 mya
Stats:
Est. max. length: 8 meters
Est. max. hip height: ?
Est. max. weight: ?
Diet: Herbivore
References
• McDonald AT, Espílez E, Mampel L, Kirkland JI and Alcalá L (2012) "
An unusual new basal iguanodont (Dinosauria: Ornithopoda) from the Lower Cretaceous of Teruel, Spain".
Zootaxa, 3595(3595): 61-76. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3595.1.3.
• Knoll F, Lautenschlager S, Kawabe S, Martínez G, Espílez E, Mampel L and Alcalá l (2021) "Palaeoneurology of the Early Cretaceous iguanodont
Proa valdearinnoensis and its bearing on the parallel developments of cognitive abilities in theropod and ornithopod dinosaurs".
The Journal of Comparative Neurology. DOI: 10.1002/cne.25224.
Time stands still for no man, and research is ongoing. If you spot an error, or want to expand, edit or add a dinosaur, please use
this form. Go
here to contribute to our FAQ.
All dinos are GM free, and no herbivores were eaten during site construction!
To cite this page:
Atkinson, L.
"
PROA :: from DinoChecker's dinosaur archive".
‹
http://www.dinochecker.com/dinosaurs/PROA›. Web access: 06th Mar 2026.
