A newly discovered dinosaur species in Brazil, named *Dasosaurus tocantinensis*, is providing insights into ancient connections between South America and Europe. The 20-meter long dinosaur lived approximately 120 million years ago and was found during construction work in Maranhão, Brazil.
The fossils were uncovered at a road rail terminal construction site in Davinópolis, a city in the state of Maranhão. Elver Luiz Mayer, a professor at the Federal University of the São Francisco Valley (UNIVASF) in the state of Bahia, became involved in 2021 after initial findings suggested prehistoric mammal remains. Mayer quickly determined the bones were significantly older, dating back to the transition from the Lower to the Upper Cretaceous period, around 120 million years ago.
*Dasosaurus tocantinensis* is the largest known dinosaur discovered in Maranhão, exceeding the size of other species like *Amazonsaurus maranhensis*, which measured about 10 meters long. Researchers believe the dinosaur’s ancestors traveled from Europe through North Africa to South America between 140 and 120 million years ago, when these landmasses were connected within the supercontinent Gondwana. Its closest known relative lived in present-day Spain, indicating a broader lineage that once spanned the Atlantic Ocean. “It's the largest known dinosaur for Maranhão, which has other species, but not sauropods like this one,” says Mayer.
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