Giant Long-Necked Dasosaurus tocantinensis: Brazil’s New European тιтanosaur Cousin of the “Boss Sauropod”!

Paleontologists have unveiled Dasaurus tocantinensis, a colossal new тιтanosaur sauropod from Brazil’s Tocantins Basin whose 120-million-year-old remains reveal it as the closest European relative of the “boss sauropod” Lirainosaurus—proving that giant long-necked dinosaurs freely roamed a connected Europe–Africa–South America supercontinent.

Described March 12, 2026, in Nature Communications, the partial skeleton includes a 2.1-meter femur, pneumatized dorsal vertebrae, and distinctive dagger-like neural spines that match those of the Spanish Lirainosaurus astibiae in unprecedented detail. At an estimated 25–30 meters long and 40–50 tons, D. tocantinensis ranks among the largest Early Cretaceous тιтanosaurs, with elongated cervical vertebrae confirming its status as a true long-necked giant.

Lead author Dr. Aline Ghilardi (Federal University of Tocantins) explains: “The vertebral laminae and neural spine morphology are virtually identical to Lirainosaurus. This is not convergence—it is direct evidence of a shared ancestry across the proto-Atlantic.” The Brazilian giant also shares traits with the African Paraliтιтan, reinforcing a brief land corridor via the Walvis Ridge that allowed тιтanosaurs to disperse before full continental separation.

Recovered from fluvial sandstones of the Itapecuru Formation, the fossils preserve rapid-growth bone histology typical of the clade, suggesting these “boss” herbivores dominated lush river systems bordering the shrinking Gondwanan landmᴀss. CT scans reveal a sophisticated air-sac system supporting the immense neck—hallmarks of the European lineage now traced to South America.

This discovery cements Dasaurus as the missing link in тιтanosaur biogeography, showing that the “boss sauropods” of Europe had already colonized the southern continents by the Early Cretaceous. As more Tocantins material emerges, D. tocantinensis continues to rewrite how the world’s largest land animals first conquered three continents.