Brazilian scientists have identified a new species of giant dinosaur whose closest known relative was discovered in Spain, offering fresh evidence that parts of South America, Africa and Europe were connected by land millions of years ago. The discovery sheds light on how dinosaurs may have moved across continents long before the Atlantic Ocean fully formed.
The new species, named Dasosaurus tocantinensis, is among the largest dinosaurs ever discovered in Brazil. The research describing the animal was published this month in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. Scientists say the discovery provides new clues about dinosaur evolution and migration during the Early Cretaceous period.
The fossils were first uncovered in 2021 at an excavation site near the city of Davinopolis in Brazil’s northeastern state of Maranhao. The site was being explored during infrastructure construction when researchers identified large fossilized bones. The study was led by Elver Mayer of the Federal University of the Sao Francisco Valley with contributions from other Brazilian researchers.
Among the most significant remains recovered was a massive femur measuring about 1.5 meters long. By analyzing the bone and other fossil fragments, researchers estimated that the dinosaur could have reached about 20 meters in length, placing it among the largest species found in the country.
Paleontologist Leonardo Kerber of the Federal University of Santa Maria, who participated in the research, said the scale of the fossil quickly became clear as the excavation progressed. He explained that the discovery of the enormous femur was a key moment that revealed the dinosaur’s size. According to Kerber, the evidence confirms that Dasosaurus tocantinensis ranks among the biggest dinosaurs ever identified in Brazil.
Scientists also determined that the species is closely related to Garumbatitan morellensis, a dinosaur species previously discovered in Spain. The relationship between the two species suggests that their ancestors may have originated in Europe before spreading to other regions.
Researchers believe that around 130 million years ago, dinosaurs from this lineage likely migrated into what is now South America by traveling through northern Africa. At the time, the continents were still connected by land bridges because the Atlantic Ocean had not yet fully opened, allowing animals to move across vast regions that are now separated by water.
The name Dasosaurus tocantinensis reflects the region where the fossil was discovered. It references the nearby Tocantins River, one of the major waterways in the area, whose eastern margins lie close to the excavation site where the giant dinosaur’s remains were found. Scientists say the discovery adds another important piece to the puzzle of how prehistoric life spread across the ancient supercontinents.
