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Long-necked sauropod found during road-rail terminal monitoring in Maranhão is 120 million years old and opens migration route between South America and Europe via North Africa.
The Dasosaurus tocantinensis, described in a paper published on February 12, 2026, in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, is a sauropod about 20 meters long.
In fact, the creature lived 120 million years ago in northeastern Brazil. The discovery was reported by Sci.News.
According to the study, the fossil was found by archaeologist Daniel Ribeiro da Silva during environmental monitoring at a road-rail terminal in Davinópolis, near Imperatriz, in Maranhão.
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According to the team, its closest known relative is Garumbatitan morellensis, a Spanish species described in 2024 and dated to about 122 million years ago.
Direct relative in Spain, 130 million years ago
According to the Phys.org report, Dasosaurus tocantinensis is the closest known relative of Garumbatitan morellensis. The latter lived in what is now the Spanish state of Castelló.
In fact, the evolutionary separation between the two species suggests a recent common ancestor. Consequently, the theory of an Atlantic land bridge gains strength.
In parallel, according to the paper, routes through North Africa allowed the passage of fauna between South America and Europe around 130 million years ago.
In other words, the South Atlantic had not yet fully opened. Dinosaurs walked between continents on dry land.
Dasosaurus tocantinensis: 20 meters and Somphospondyli classification
In fact, the Brazilian sauropod was approximately 20 meters long, from tail tip to head. In other words, comparable to an articulated bus folded in half.
According to the study, the species belongs to the clade Somphospondyli, a group of titanosauriform sauropods. These creatures lived from the late Jurassic to the end of the Cretaceous.
On the other hand, Dasosaurus tocantinensis falls outside the lineage of titanosaurs. This subgroup dominated the southern continents later in the Cretaceous.
In fact, it is a basal member of the group. The bone microstructure shows intermediate growth between ancient sauropods and late titanosaurs.
Davinópolis: fossil found during construction monitoring
According to EurekAlert, the bones came to light in July 2018. Archaeologist Daniel Ribeiro da Silva was accompanying the environmental monitoring of a road-rail terminal in Davinópolis.
According to Daniel Ribeiro, in an interview with the scientific press, the discovery began with a bone found by chance at the construction site. Consequently, the company stopped work at the location.
In parallel, paleontologists from the Center for Paleontology Research of Maranhão entered the field. According to the schedule, the excavation lasted about eight years until the final publication.
In fact, the recovered material includes vertebrae, ribs, and pelvic bones. Microscopic analysis allowed defining the species’ position in the evolutionary tree.
Migration route between continents
According to Macau News, the finding rewrites the sauropod migration map. Lineages crossed between South America, Africa, and Europe.
To understand, in the Early Cretaceous, the Atlantic was still a narrow corridor. In parallel, the supercontinent Gondwana was finishing its fragmentation.
According to geology, North Africa functioned as a bridge between the South American and European plates. Consequently, similar fauna appears on both sides.
In addition, other recent discoveries follow the same pattern. The 110-million-year-old burrowing bug from Cariri shows invertebrates on a similar route.
Context: Brazilian paleontology on the rise
According to The Brighter Side of News, Brazil has accelerated paleontological discoveries in the last five years.
In fact, Maranhão now appears as a key point in the Parnaíba basin. In parallel, regions of Ceará and Tocantins also concentrate recent discoveries.
On the other hand, China leads in the volume of new species described per year. The recent 125-million-year-old Haolong dongi is a direct example.
However, according to scientific analysts, the Brazilian bottleneck lies in long-term funding and training of specialized teams.
Comparison: Dasosaurus tocantinensis in numbers
- 20 meters body length
- 120 million years old — Early Cretaceous
- 122 million years old for its Spanish relative Garumbatitan
- 130 million years ago, the land route via North Africa
- Davinópolis (MA): road-rail terminal near Imperatriz
In fact, in comparison, Tyrannosaurus rex appears only about 50 million years later. The Maranhão dinosaur represents a much older chapter in the history of South American dinosaurs.
In other words, 20 meters is equivalent to a 14-meter articulated bus plus an additional 6 meters. The estimated weight is around 15 to 20 tons.
And Brazil? Why the Parnaíba basin became a center of discoveries
The Parnaíba sedimentary basin covers about 600,000 km² between Maranhão, Piauí, Tocantins, Pará, and Ceará. According to CPRM geologists, it is one of the country’s largest paleontological reserves.
According to recent studies, Cretaceous sediments of the basin are exposed in hundreds of outcrops. Consequently, public and private works frequently trigger discoveries like that of Dasosaurus.
In parallel, the lack of local teams is the main bottleneck. For example, only three universities in the North and Northeast have active paleontological laboratories.
In fact, the environmental monitoring protocol in terminals and highways is the institutional gateway for the material. Without this legal requirement, these fossils would remain hidden.
Caveat: the species has partial material
According to the team, the collected material represents part of the skeleton. The complete skull and some bones of the forelimbs are missing.
On the other hand, the continuation of the excavation is planned. Consequently, new pieces may refine the proposed classification.
Will Brazil be able to invest in paleontology on the scale of Spain or China? The Brazilian sauropod case proves that world-class material is literally under our feet.
Still, the finding has already been published in an international journal. The new name enters the official catalog of South American dinosaurs.
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