Fossils discovered at the coastline of Lake Kariba in northwestern Zimbabwe constitute a fully new species of dinosaur. This new dinosaur, a sauropodomorph, has been named Musankwa sanyatiensis. It is just the fourth dinosaur species named from Zimbabwe. The learn about concerned the Herbal Historical past Museum of Zimbabwe, Stony Brook College (New York) and the College of the Witwatersrand (South Africa). The analysis was once led by way of Professor Paul Barrett of the London Herbal Historical past Museum.
Artist reconstruction of Musankwa sanyatiensis, strolling in Triassic shallow waters previous a temnospondyl (metoposaur). Image credit score: Atashni Moopen.
A New Past due Triassic Sauropodmorph Dinosaur
The invention of Musankwa sanyatiensis is very vital. It’s the first dinosaur to be named from the Mid-Zambezi Basin in additional than fifty years. As well as, Musankwa will assist to tell palaeontologists in regards to the evolution of Past due Triassic sauropodomorphs.
The 4 dinosaurs to be named and described from fossils present in Zimbabwe are:
- Megapnosaurus rhodesiensis (a coelophysoid, previously referred to as Syntarsus and named in 1969).
- Vulcanodon karibaensis (a primitive, Early Jurassic sauropod named in 1972).
- Mbiresaurus raathi (a basal, Past due Triassic sauropodomorph named in 2022).
- Musankwa sanyatiensis (a basal sauropodomorph named in 2024).
M. sanyatiensis is understood from hind leg bones which constitute a unmarried, person animal. The appropriate femur, tibia and astragalus had been distinct from all different Past due Triassic massopodan sauropodomorphs, so the researchers had been assured that this was once a brand new species.
One of the crucial co-authors of the paper, Assistant Professor Kimberley Chapelle (Stony Brook College) commented:
“In spite of the restricted fossil subject material, those bones possess distinctive options that distinguish them from the ones of alternative dinosaurs dwelling on the similar time.”
Musankwa sanyatiensis fossil website online location map. The geographic atmosphere of the Mid-Zambezi Basin and Spurwing Island in northwest Zimbabwe. Image credit score: Lara Sciscio.
Musankwa sanyatiensis Named After a Houseboat
This new dinosaur was once named after the houseboat “Musankwa”. The vessel was once utilized by the analysis crew for lodging and as a makeshift laboratory. It was once equipped by way of David and Julie Glynn. The staff Godfrey Swalika, Simbarashe Mangoroma, By no means Mapira and Coster Katupu supplied very important logistical reinforce to the sphere crew.
The houseboat “Musankwa”, the vessel that functioned as the house and cellular laboratory right through two box expeditions to Lake Kariba in 2017–2018, which was once made to be had during the generosity of David and Julie Glynn, and whose staff, Coster Katupu, Godfrey Swalika, Simbarashe Mangoroma, and By no means Mapira, supplied very important logistic reinforce. Image credit score: Jonah Choiniere.
Phylogenetic research puts Musankwa sanyatiensis because the earliest branching member of the Massopoda lineage of sauropodomorphs. It’s idea to had been bipedal and weighed round 390 kilograms. Even though no massive, Musankwa was once probably the most greatest dinosaurs identified from the Past due Triassic of southern Africa.
African Dinosaurs
Africa has an extended historical past of dinosaur fossil discovery. The primary dinosaur from the Southern Hemisphere was once present in South Africa simply 3 years after Sir Richard Owen coined the time period “Dinosauria”. Remarkably, maximum dinosaur fossils from the continent had been present in simply ten nations. These kind of are from north Africa, from nations like Morocco and Egypt. The dinosaurs of southern Africa are poorly identified compared.
Professor Paul Barrett defined:
“Put merely, there were fewer folks on the lookout for and unearthing dinosaurs compared to different areas of the sector.”
The world analysis crew composed of scientists from Zimbabwe, South Africa and the United Kingdom on the Musankwa sanyatiensis fossil locality on Spurwing Island, Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe. Image credit score: Lara Sciscio.
To learn an editorial in regards to the discovery of a big sauropod from Angola: A New Large Sauropod – Angolatitan.
Even though there were only some dinosaurs named and described from southern Africa, the ones which were discovered are traditionally and scientifically vital. One of the vital geologically oldest dinosaurs had been described, similar to Nyasasaurus parringtoni from Tanzania and Mbiresaurus raathi from Zimbabwe.
An editorial from 2012 outlining the importance of Nyasasaurus parringtoni to dinosaur analysis: Placing Again the Date of the First Dinosaurs to Evolve.
The analysis crew commented that the Past due Triassic-Early Jurassic sediments of Zimbabwe are an important for working out the Finish-Triassic extinction. This was once a catastrophic match that dramatically reshaped Earth’s biodiversity round 200 million years in the past. The geology supplies insights into how other fossil-bearing sediments world wide correspond in age and assist in piecing in combination the worldwide image of historic lifestyles.
Musankwa sanyatiensis leg bones as they had been came upon within the flooring on Spurwing Island, Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe. Image credit score: Paul Barrett.
Musankwa sanyatiensis Highlighting the Untapped Doable of Southern Africa
The formal description of Musankwa sanyatiensis highlights the latent attainable of southern Africa. It’s most probably that many extra vital fossil discoveries might be made.
Professor Paul Barrett commented:
“Over the past six years, many new fossil websites had been recorded in Zimbabwe, yielding a various array of prehistoric animals, together with the primary sub-Saharan mainland African phytosaurs [ancient crocodile-like reptiles], metoposaurid amphibians [giant armoured amphibians], lungfish, and different reptile stays.”
As extra portions of southern Africa are explored for prehistoric animal fossils, there may be hope that extra vital discoveries might be made. Those fossils will make clear dinosaur evolution and the ecosystems they inhabited.
Dr Kimberley Chapelle added:
“In line with the place it sits at the dinosaur circle of relatives tree, Musankwa sanyatiensis is the primary dinosaur of its type from Zimbabwe. It, due to this fact, highlights the opportunity of the area for additional palaeontological discoveries.”
Musankwa sanyatiensis fossil bones in situ, after mechanical preparation, and after CT scanning. Artist reconstruction of Musankwa sanyatiensis appearing place of fossil bones. Image credit score: Barrett et al. 2024, Atashni Moopen.
The whole thing Dinosaur recognizes the help of a media liberate by way of the College of the Witwatersrand within the compilation of this text.
The medical paper: “A brand new Past due Triassic sauropodomorph dinosaur from the Mid-Zambezi Basin, Zimbabwe” by way of Barrett, P.M., Chapelle, Okay.E.J., Sciscio, L., Broderick, T.J., Zondo, M., Munyikwa, D., and Choiniere, J.N. Revealed in Acta Palaeontologica Polonica.
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