New dicynodont species discovered in Tanzania

Paleontologists have identified a new species of prehistoric dicynodont, named Dinodontosaurus isiyavamanda, from the Manda Beds of Tanzania. The plant-eating, tusked synapsid lived approximately 240 million years ago during the Triassic period.

This discovery, led by the University of Bristol and involving specimens housed at the Natural History Museum in London, marks the first confirmed record of the Dinodontosaurus genus outside of South America. By linking the Tanzanian and South American fossil-bearing rocks, researchers have determined that these geological deposits are of equivalent age.

The finding has significant implications for evolutionary timelines, as the Tanzanian rocks containing these fossils are also associated with some of the earliest potential dinosaur fossils. The discovery suggests that these specific rock layers may be younger than previously assumed, potentially reshaping the understood timeline of early dinosaur evolution.