Atapuerca Digital

We can travel by private vehicle or public transportation from Villar del Río to Los Campos by way of Santa Cruz de Yanguas. Difficulty: Low.

From Villar del Río we head towards Bretún. Both the La Matecasa archaeological site and Fuente Lacorte are there, featuring replicas of the dinosaurs as well as theropod and ornithopod tracks.

Theropods were carnivorous and omnivorous predators. These fierce-looking creatures lived in the late Triassic and late Cretaceous periods. They were found on every continent and could reach 15 meters in length. The ornithopods could grow to measure anywhere from 1 to 15 meters long. They had thick lower legs that enabled them to walk and upper limbs that were much smaller. They lived in the early Jurassic and late Cretaceous periods, a very common species found on every continent.

Next on our route is Santa Cruz de Yanguas to view the site that bears its name. We can view more replicas of dinosaurs there. At the Los Tormos site further ahead, we can view theropod, ornithopod and pterosaur tracks.

The pterosaurs (flying reptiles group) could have wingspans measuring anywhere from half a meter to 12 meters. They lived in the Late Triassic and Late Cretaceous and inhabited every continent. They were carrion eaters, but also fed on mollusks, insects, etc.

From Los Tormos, we drive to the town of Los Campos to visit the Salgar de Sillas site and examine the sauropod and ornithopod tracks there. The 17 fossil tracks measuring up to one meter in diameter are particularly worth mentioning, since they would be appropriate for a huge animal some 20 meters long. Sauropods could measure anywhere between 7 to 50 meters in length. They lived in the late Triassic and late Cretaceous periods and inhabited every continent. They were herbivores with a long neck that, combined with their very long tails, helped them to reach these huge dimensions.