New prehistoric species identified from 60-year-old fossil
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Researchers at the University of Bristol identified Dinodontosaurus isiyavamanda, a new species of prehistoric animal, from fossils discovered in Tanzania in 1963.
The remains had been stored at the Natural History Museum in London for six decades before the team re-examined them. Dinodontosaurus isiyavamanda lived approximately 240 million years ago and belongs to a group of vertebrates that existed before dinosaurs. The British expedition that originally recovered the fossils also found remains of synapsids, ancestors to mammals.
While some of these specimens received study over the years, many remained unidentified until now. Detailed analysis of a dicynodont skeleton, compared with a previously discovered cranium, revealed the unique characteristics of this new species. This discovery links fossils from Tanzania and South America, as Dinodontosaurus had previously only been identified in South American fossils. This connection will help scientists compare the geological formations of both territories and determine their age.
The research also provides new information for understanding the age of rock formations where early dinosaur remains have been found. Scientists plan to continue studying additional Dinodontosaurus fossils from Tanzania to better understand the animal’s distribution 240 million years ago.
