Ancient herbivore found in Tanzania reshapes dinosaur origins
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Scientists working in Tanzania, East Africa, discovered a new species of ancient animal that lived around 240 million years ago.
The creature, a plant-eating dicynodont named Dinodontosaurus isiyavamanda, was previously known only from fossils found in South America. Researchers from the University of Bristol examined fossils collected in Tanzania over 60 years ago, stored at the Natural History Museum in London, and identified the new species.
This discovery is important because the rocks where Dinodontosaurus was found also contain some of the oldest fossils thought to be from dinosaurs. Finding Dinodontosaurus in both Tanzania and South America suggests the rock formations in both locations are roughly the same age.
Hady George, the lead author of the study from the University of Bristol, explained that this finding helps confirm that the oldest supposed dinosaur fossils from Tanzania may not be older than those from South America, improving understanding of the dinosaur timeline. The team believes scientists may need to re-evaluate when and where dinosaurs first appeared.
