Discovery of giant new dinosaur in Brazil reveals prehistoric connection to Europe

A remarkable palaeontological discovery has been made in South America. Scientists have identified a giant new dinosaur in Brazil after its remains were uncovered at a construction site. The species, named Dasosaurus tocantinensis, measured approximately 20 metres in length and roamed the earth roughly 120 million years ago, according to a report in Science Daily.

The fossils were initially found during the construction of a road-rail terminal in Davinópolis, located in the northeastern state of Maranhão. Archaeologists monitoring the project under environmental licensing requirements first mistook the bones for those of prehistoric mammals. However, Elver Luiz Mayer, a professor at the Federal University of the São Francisco Valley, noticed the depth of the find and suspected they were much older, dating to the transition between the Lower and Upper Cretaceous periods.

Unearthing a giant new dinosaur in Brazil

The discovery of this giant new dinosaur in Brazil is particularly significant due to its evolutionary ties, Science Daily said. Researchers have determined that the animal’s closest known relative lived in what is now Spain. This strongly suggests that its ancestors migrated to South America from Europe, likely travelling through North Africa between 140 and 120 million years ago when the landmasses were still connected within the Gondwana supercontinent.

“It is the largest known dinosaur from Maranhão,” Professor Mayer told Science Daily. Until now, the state was only known for much smaller species, such as the 10-metre-long Amazonsaurus maranhensis.

[See more: New work begins at Portugal’s Outeiro do Circo archaeological site]

The exceptionally preserved skeleton includes tail vertebrae, a 1.5-metre femur, ribs, foot bones, and various limb bones. Analysis of the microscopic structure of the bones, led by researchers Tito Aureliano and Aline Ghilardi, revealed a unique growth pattern combining traits of older sauropods and titanosaurs.

The name Dasosaurus derives from the Greek word for forest, referring to the wooded landscape of Maranhão, while tocantinensis pays tribute to the nearby Tocantins River.

Max Langer, a professor at the University of São Paulo who participated in the research, highlighted the dual nature of major infrastructure projects in palaeontology, noting that while construction can damage fossil deposits, it also exposes geological layers that would otherwise remain hidden. Scientists hope that closer cooperation with construction firms will allow further excavation at the Davinópolis site, potentially revealing more about this giant new dinosaur in Brazil.