Brazil discovery of 20-meter dinosaur remains

Archaeologists at a construction site in Davinópolis, northeastern Brazil, have discovered the remains of a previously unknown 20-meter-long dinosaur. Named ‘Dasosaurus tocantinensis’, the species lived approximately 120 million years ago.

The fossil find, which includes vertebrae, ribs, foot bones, limb bones, and a 1.5-meter femur, suggests a biological link to species found in modern-day Spain. Researchers believe their common ancestors migrated to South America via North Africa during the time of the Gondwana supercontinent.

Microscopic analysis of the bones indicates a mix of growth characteristics found in early sauropods and titanosaurs, providing new insights into the evolutionary processes that allowed certain sauropods to reach massive sizes. The study has been published in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology.