LASO Lifts a Jurassic Giant

By Simon West

LASO Transportes has successfully pulled off a prehistoric heavy lift after it helped move one of the most complete dinosaur fossils ever discovered in Portugal.

The transport specialist deployed one of its mobile cranes to lift and remove the rock block holding the 148-million-year-old specimen, found on the Jurassic cliffs of Foz do Sizandro in the municipality of Torres Vedras.

The fossil belongs to a rare Ankylosaurid dinosaur and is believed to be the oldest known continental European specimen of its group. Researchers estimate that the roughly 2.5-meter-long skeleton is between 80% and 85% complete, with remains extending from the skull to the tip of the tail.

Getting it off the cliff was no ordinary haul.

Working alongside Portugal’s Natural History Society and the researchers leading the excavation, LASO used a mobile crane specifically suited to the site’s difficult terrain and the characteristics of the fossil-bearing block.

The proximity of the cliff edge, challenging ground conditions and the need to avoid even minor damage to the specimen demanded meticulous planning and precision, LASO said.

Once safely lifted, the block was transported to the Natural History Society’s laboratory in Santa Cruz. There, researchers will prepare and preserve the fossil before carrying out detailed scientific studies.

“Participation in this project shows LASO’s versatility and technical ability in carrying out special operations that go beyond traditional sectors, putting its experience and specialized equipment at the service of projects of high scientific, heritage and cultural interest,” LASO said.

LASO Transportes is an exhibitor at Breakbulk Europe.