New dinosaur discoveries reveal evolutionary history of sauropods

Paleontologists have recently reported significant findings concerning the distribution and evolutionary history of giant sauropods. In northeastern Brazil, researchers identified a new dinosaur species named Dasosaurus tocantinensis, which lived approximately 120 million years ago and reached a length of 20 meters. Its remains were discovered at a construction site in Davinópolis, Maranhão state, providing evidence of a lineage that connected South America to Europe during the time of the Gondwana supercontinent.

Simultaneously, researchers from the Dinópolis Foundation in Teruel, Spain, announced the identification of the first Diplodocus remains found in Europe. Described in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, the specimen, dating back approximately 150 million years, is noted for being one of the most complete diplodocid samples ever found on the continent. According to lead author Sergio Sánchez Fenollosa and co-author Alberto Cobos, the animal likely measured 25 meters in length. These discoveries provide critical insights into how these long-necked herbivores migrated across ancient landmasses, marking the first time the genus Diplodocus has been confirmed outside of North America.