A brand new dinosaur from Zimbabwe
Scientists said on Might 30, 2024, they’ve found a brand new dinosaur species from fossils discovered close to Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe, Africa. The brand new species – Musankwa sanyatiensis – is the 4th dinosaur species discovery within the nation. It was a plant-eater that lived round 210 million years in the past.
The dinosaur’s genus title, “Musankwa,” was the title of the houseboat scientists used throughout their expeditions to the analysis website. Furthermore, within the Tonga dialect, it means “boy near marriage.” As well as, its species title “sanyatiensis” alludes to the Sanyati River that flows into Lake Kariba.
The researchers published their peer-reviewed findings within the journal Acta Palaeontologica Polonica on Might 30, 2024.
Figuring out a brand new species from leg bones
In 2018, scientists discovered the fossils embedded in sandy siltstone on the shoreline of Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe. The rocks that held these fossils dated to the late Triassic period, about 210 million years in the past.
They recovered a hind leg that included thigh, shin and ankle bones. These bones alone have been sufficient to establish it as a sauropodomorpha. These Triassic sauropodomorpha have been plant-eaters with lengthy necks that walked on their hind legs.
This new species seemingly weighed about 850 lbs (386 kg), in regards to the measurement of a medium-sized horse. Additionally, scientists assume it was one of many bigger dinosaurs of that period. It was intently associated to different late Triassic sauropodomorpha present in South Africa and Argentina.
Furthermore, its fossilized hind leg had options researchers had not seen in different sauropodomorpha. Because of this, scientists have been in a position to establish it as a brand new species. Co-author Kimberley Chapelle of Stony Brook College said:
Regardless of the restricted fossil materials, these bones possess distinctive options that distinguish them from these of different dinosaurs dwelling on the identical time.
Dinosaurs in Africa
The primary dinosaur discovery from the continent of Africa was in South Africa in 1845. Since then, there have been dino discoveries in about 10 nations, together with South Africa, Tanzania, Niger, Zimbabwe and Morocco. For example, the fossilized bones of Ledumahadi mafube, which lived 200 million years in the past, got here from South Africa.
However in comparison with different components of the world, there haven’t been many dinosaur discoveries in Africa. Lead writer Paul Barrett of the Pure Historical past Museum in London commented:
The principle cause for the underrepresentation of African dinosaur fossils is ‘undersampling.’ Put merely, there have been fewer folks searching for and unearthing dinosaurs compared with different areas of the world.
Nonetheless, discovering this new species provides scientists hope that extra discoveries await them. Barrett stated:
During the last six years, many new fossil websites have been recorded in Zimbabwe, yielding a various array of prehistoric animals, together with the primary sub-Saharan mainland African phytosaurs (historical crocodile-like reptiles), metoposaurid amphibians (big armored amphibians), lungfish and different reptile stays.
Chapelle added:
Primarily based on the place it sits on the dinosaur household tree, Musanwka sanyantiensis is the primary dinosaur of its type from Zimbabwe. It, subsequently, highlights the potential of the area for additional paleontological discoveries.
Backside line: Scientists have unearthed a brand new dinosaur species close to Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe. It was a plant-eater that lived round 210 million years in the past.
Source: A new Late Triassic sauropodomorph dinosaur from the Mid-Zambezi Basin, Zimbabwe
Via University of the Witwatersrand
