Excavations at Iharkút, a former bauxite mine near Ajka, have been ongoing for 25 years under Attila Ősi, head of ELTE university’s Department of Palaeontology.

The remains that sparked the recent breakthrough were discovered in 2017.

Named Ajkaceratops kozmai after the nearby town, the species belongs to the frilled or horned dinosaurs, the same group as Triceratops.


After years of analysis and modelling, researchers confirmed that Ajkaceratops was indeed a frilled dinosaur, overturning the previous belief that this type never lived in Europe.

The findings were reviewed by an international team, including experts from London’s Natural History Museum.

British palaeontologist Susannah Maidment remarked “our new research shows that horned dinosaurs were present in Europe all along, we just didn’t recognize them”.

The study has been published in the prestigious journal Nature. Ősi said the latest announcement confirms that it is indeed worth spending up to a quarter of a century investigating a site.

More about Ajkaceratops kozmai
 

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