Dasosaurus tocantinensis: The Brazilian Dinosaur With a Spanish Cousin

TL;DR: Paleontologists have identified a new 66-foot sauropod species from Brazil — Dasosaurus tocantinensis — and here's the twist: its closest known relative lived in Spain. This discovery proves that 120 million years ago, dinosaurs were migrating between South America and Europe via land bridges through Africa.

What could a dinosaur from northeastern Brazil possibly have in common with one from Spain?

Apparently, everything.

A newly described species called Dasosaurus tocantinensis is rewriting what we know about dinosaur migration patterns — and it's a reminder that 120 million years ago, the world looked very, very different.

Meet Dasosaurus tocantinensis

Dasosaurus tocantinensis was a somphospondylan sauropod — part of the massive, long-necked dinosaur lineage that dominated the Mesozoic Era. It lived approximately 120 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous period.

The fossils were discovered in the Itapecuru Formation of northeastern Brazil, and the animal was no small find: approximately 66 feet (20 meters) in length.

The study was published in February 2026 in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology.

What Makes This Dinosaur Special?

1. Unique Anatomy

The partial skeleton of D. tocantinensis shows anatomical features never seen together in any other dinosaur:

• Tail vertebrae with a unique set of three elongated ridges and grooves
• Thigh bone with a pronounced lateral bulge

These traits distinguish it from all known titanosaurs (the dominant sauropod group of the Southern Hemisphere) and place it in a more basal position on the titanosauriform family tree.

2. Its Closest Relative Lived in Spain

Here's where it gets wild.

The researchers found that Dasosaurus tocantinensis is most closely related to Garumbatitan morellensis, a sauropod that lived in what is now Spain around 122 million years ago.

Think about that for a second: Brazil and Spain are separated by the entire Atlantic Ocean. Today, you'd need a 5,000-mile flight to get from one to the other.

But 120 million years ago? You could walk.

The Ancient Land Bridge Connection

During the Early Cretaceous, the supercontinent Gondwana was still partially intact. South America, Africa, and Europe weren't fully separated yet.

The research team's biogeographical analysis suggests this scenario:

1. The lineage including Dasosaurus and Garumbatitan originated in Europe
2. These dinosaurs dispersed to South America via northern Africa
3. This migration happened between 137-113 million years ago, before the Atlantic Ocean fully opened

In other words, dinosaurs were walking from Europe to Africa to South America — a journey that would be impossible today but was routine during the Mesozoic.

Why This Discovery Matters

Challenges the "Isolated South America" Theory

For a long time, scientists thought Early Cretaceous South America was an evolutionary backwater — cut off from the rest of the world and developing its own unique fauna in isolation.

Dasosaurus tocantinensis says otherwise.

"Apart from expanding the known diversity of Early Cretaceous sauropods in the northern part of South America, this discovery highlights biogeographical connections with more northern Gondwanan areas, as well as Europe," the research team noted.

Shows How Connected Ancient Ecosystems Were

This discovery is part of a growing body of evidence showing that dinosaur populations were far more mobile than we once assumed. Land bridges, shallow seas, and shifting continents created pathways that allowed animals to spread across the globe.

The same giant sauropods that roamed prehistoric Brazil also had cousins in Spain — because 120 million years ago, getting from one place to the other just meant a very, very long walk.

The Titanosauriform Family

Dasosaurus tocantinensis belongs to Somphospondyli, a group of titanosauriform sauropods that lived from the Late Jurassic until the end-Cretaceous extinction 66 million years ago.

This family includes some of the largest animals to ever walk the Earth. While D. tocantinensis at 66 feet was impressive, some of its relatives grew even larger — titanosaurs like Argentinosaurus may have reached 100+ feet in length.

The new Brazilian species sits outside the true titanosaur lineage, representing an earlier branch of the family tree. This makes it valuable for understanding how titanosauriforms evolved and spread before titanosaurs came to dominate the Southern Hemisphere.

What We Still Don't Know

As with most fossil discoveries, the Dasosaurus specimen is incomplete. The partial skeleton leaves many questions unanswered:

• What did the skull look like?
• How did it compare in size to its Spanish relative?
• Were there other members of this lineage elsewhere in South America or Africa?

Future expeditions to the Itapecuru Formation may reveal more specimens and help fill in the gaps.

The Bottom Line

Dasosaurus tocantinensis is more than just another new dinosaur name. It's proof that the ancient world was connected in ways we're still discovering — and that 120 million years ago, a sauropod born in what would become Brazil could have cousins living in what would become Spain.

Continental drift didn't just reshape the planet. It shaped the evolution of life itself.

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Love dinosaurs? Check out our collection of dinosaur apparel — fun dinosaur shirts for the whole family. Because some of us never outgrew our dinosaur phase — and we're proud of it.