Dinodontosaurus isiyavamanda discovery links South America and Africa

Researchers led by the University of Bristol have identified a new prehistoric species, Dinodontosaurus isiyavamanda, from fossils held in the Natural History Museum in London. The herbivorous creature, a member of the dicynodont group often called the ‘Triassic cow’, dates back approximately 240 million years.

This discovery is significant because it marks the first confirmed record of the Dinodontosaurus genus outside of South America, as the fossils were originally unearthed in Tanzania. This finding establishes a direct link between the rock sequences of South America and Africa, suggesting they are of the same age. The study, published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, may prompt scientists to reconsider the timeline of the earliest known dinosaurs.