A mysterious animal that lived 240 million years ago: its remains lay in a museum for 60 years

Scientists in Tanzania have identified a previously unknown species of ancient animal that lived nearly 240 million years ago. Most interestingly, some of its remains were found back in 1963 and have been kept in a museum ever since.

The new species was named Dinodontosaurus isiyavamanda. It is not a dinosaur, but rather a herbivorous animal belonging to the group of ancient synapsids, which are related to mammals.

Dinodontosaurus isiyavamanda lived approximately 240 million years ago.

By studying its remains, scientists have been able to further expand our understanding of the evolution and distribution of ancient animals.

Remains of this animal were previously found only in South America. The newly identified specimens in Tanzania indicate that representatives of Dinodontosaurus also lived in African regions. Another surprising aspect of the discovery is that some of the fossils had been stored in a museum for over 60 years before being re-examined as a result of new research.

Such discoveries can help us better understand the distribution and evolution of animals that lived during the period before dinosaurs appeared.