Triassic herbivore Dinodontosaurus discovered in Tanzania reshapes dinosaur timeline
Scientists have identified a new species of giant, tusked herbivore, Dinodontosaurus isiyavamanda, from 240-million-year-old rocks in Tanzania, linking the region to South American fossils and prompting a rethink of early dinosaur ages.
A previously unknown Triassic herbivore, Dinodontosaurus isiyavamanda, has been described from fossils uncovered in Tanzania in the 1960s and housed at the Natural History Museum, London. Curator Mike Day highlighted that the specimen, now recognized as a large, tusked dicynodont, lived around 240 million years ago and likely moved in herds, using its turtle-like beak and formidable tusks for feeding and defense. Led by researchers from the University of Bristol, the study confirms the species’ presence in both Tanzania and South America, linking the two regions’ geological sequences.
Radiometric dating suggests the Tanzanian rocks are up to 10 million years younger than comparable South African layers, meaning they no longer represent the oldest possible dinosaur fossils. The discovery therefore refines the timeline for dinosaur origins and will guide future biomechanical and ecological investigations of Triassic dicynodonts.
Why it matters
The find revises the age of rocks once thought to hold the earliest dinosaurs, altering our understanding of dinosaur evolution.
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