Giant new dinosaur discovered beneath construction site in Brazil

A road construction project in northeastern Brazil has unearthed something extraordinary: a previously unknown dinosaur species, 20 meters long, that roamed the Earth 120 million years ago.

Named Dasosaurus tocantinensis, the creature is now the largest known dinosaur from the state of Maranhão. Its closest relative lived in what is now Spain, suggesting these giants once migrated across landmasses connected within the ancient supercontinent Gondwana.

The fossils, including a 1.5-meter femur, tail vertebrae, and limb bones, were initially mistaken for prehistoric mammal remains. Researcher Elver Mayer suspected otherwise: "Given its depth of about eight meters, I realized that it was much older."

The discovery raises urgent questions about oversight. As Max Langer put it, "It's obvious that specialized monitoring and artifact recovery are necessary, which doesn't always happen."

Researchers are now negotiating with the construction company to return to the site, hoping more bones remain buried nearby.