Here are top dinosaurs discoveries of 2025

In 2025, dinosaurs roared back into the global spotlight. The BBC revived its landmark series Walking With Dinosaurs in May, and July saw the release of Jurassic World Rebirth, the seventh film in the enduring Jurassic Park franchise. Public interest mirrored this media resurgence: the Natural History Museum in London recorded a record 6.3 million visitors in 2024–2025, drawn largely by its dinosaur exhibits.

The surge in public fascination coincides with a golden era in dinosaur science. Over 1,400 dinosaur species are now known from more than 90 countries, and the pace of discovery continues to accelerate.

In 2025 alone, 44 new species have been described—nearly one per week. Fossils are being unearthed not only in traditional hotspots such as Argentina, China, Mongolia, and the US, but also in unexpected locations, from a Serbian village to the windswept coast of north-west Scotland.

The Independent provides a list of the year’s most remarkable discoveries:

Zavacephale rinpoche – Unearthed in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert, this one-metre-long plant-eater is the oldest known pachycephalosaur, a group of domed-skulled dinosaurs likely used for head-butting. Its discovery sheds light on the early evolution of one of the most enigmatic dinosaur groups.

Istiorachis macarthurae – From England’s Isle of Wight, this six-metre-long ornithopod features a striking sail along its back, likely used for display and predator deterrence. It is closely related to the iconic Iguanodon.

Spicomellus afer – Morocco’s bizarre “punk rock dinosaur” is a heavily armoured ankylosaur with spiny protrusions across its body, including a collar of golf club–length spines around its neck. At four metres long and weighing up to two tonnes, it challenges previous assumptions about ankylosaur evolution.

Nanotyrannus lethaeus – Long debated as either a small tyrannosaurid or a juvenile T. rex, a 2025 study confirmed it as a fully grown, distinct species: a slender, agile predator built for speed. The findings end a 35-year controversy in dinosaur paleontology.

Huayracursor jaguensis – A 228-million-year-old sauropod ancestor from Argentina, this two-metre-long dinosaur provides crucial insight into the early evolution of long-necked giants such as Brachiosaurus.

By Sabina Mammadli