New Long-Necked Dinosaur Unearthed in Brazil Has European Roots
A team of paleontologists monitoring the construction of a railway terminal in the Brazilian state of Maranhão made a surprising discovery around 2021: a massive new species of long-necked dinosaur. They published their description of the discovery in the Journal of Systematic Paleontology.
The new species of dinosaur, nicknamed Dasosaurus tocantinensiswas approximately 66 feet long, making it remarkably large for sauropods discovered in the area. Paleontologists say the discovery sets back the evolution of certain bone remodeling patterns that allowed these gargantuan beasts to grow so large.
“It is the largest dinosaur known from Maranhão, which has other species, but no sauropods like this one; instead it has smaller ones, like the diplodocid Amazonsaurus maranhensiswhich was about 10 meters long,” study author Elver Luiz of the Federal University of the São Francisco Valley said in a statement.
Read more: “Conjuring Imaginary Creatures”
D. tocantinensis is native to Spain and analysis has revealed that it is closely related to a sister species (Garumbatitan morellensis) discovered in the Iberian Peninsula in the early 2000s. Unlike the first Spanish colonizers who came to South America by boat, D. tocantinensis had a relatively shorter route to cover and which was entirely overland. About 120 to 140 million years ago, forest beasts arrived on the continent via the Horn of Africa, when Earth’s landmasses were brought together to form the megacontinent Gondwana.
Paleontologists emphasize that this discovery would not have been possible without conservation laws guaranteeing the recovery of the fossils, and they are currently negotiating with the construction company to continue excavation of the site.
“Brazil is a tropical country with dense vegetation,” said study author Max Langer of the University of São Paulo. “Geologists and paleontologists rely heavily on human activity to dig, expose rocks and reveal fossils. If we map Brazil’s fossil sites, we will see highways and quarries. These projects are important for understanding our heritage. But it is clear that specialized monitoring and recovery of artifacts is necessary, which does not always happen.”
You never know what you’re going to find when you start digging.
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Main image: Connor Ashbridge / Wikimedia Commons and dariaustiugova / Adobe Stock
