Newly Discovered Dinosaur From Zimbabwe Could Change What We Know About Ancient Southern African Ecosystems
The 4.5-metre dinosaur adds to Zimbabwe’s fossil record and suggests southern Africa held distinct ecosystems, researchers said.
- On Wednesday, researchers announced the discovery of Musango matusadonaensis, a new dinosaur species identified from a skeleton excavated near Lake Kariba in northern Zimbabwe in 2018, marking the fifth dinosaur identified from the country.
- Named after the Shona word for "living in the bush," Musango lived about 210 million years ago during the Late Triassic when dinosaurs were beginning to diversify across the planet.
- Weighing about 490 pounds and stretching roughly 15 feet long, Musango was estimated eight years old when it died. Evidence from its fibula revealed the dinosaur survived a serious injury or infection.
- The discovery challenges the assumption that dinosaurs across southern Africa were largely the same, said Paul Barrett, researcher at the Natural History Museum in London. The region instead contained distinct ecosystems, each supporting different species.
- Africa's fossil record remains understudied compared to Europe and North America, yet the team already has another species awaiting formal description. Barrett noted findings represent only the "tip of the iceberg" for future discoveries.
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New Species of Triassic Dinosaur Discovered on Shores of Zimbabwe’s Lake Kariba
An international team of paleontologists has identified a new species of early sauropodomorph dinosaur in Zimbabwe, adding to growing evidence that southern Africa hosted a richer diversity of dinosaurs during the Late Triassic epoch than previously recognized. The post New Species of Triassic Dinosaur Discovered on Shores of Zimbabwe’s Lake Kariba appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.
210-million-year-old dinosaur remains found in ZimbabwePaleontologists have described a new dinosaur species, Musango matusadonaensis, in Zimbabwe. The find changes the way we think about Africa's ecosystems in the Late Triassic.
A dinosaur fossil discovered in Zimbabwe offers new clues about how these animals have diversified, and suggests that they have spread across different ecosystems in southern Africa, said scientists this Wednesday. The discovery of the species Musango matusadonaensis is based on a skeleton excavated in 2018 on the shores of Lake Kariba, in northern Zimbabwe. It is the fifth dinosaur identified in the country, according to scientists. Read also: …
The discovery of this species is the result of a skeletal examination in northern Zimbabwe in 2018. The dinosaur was about 4.5 m long and weighed only 222 kg. Researchers believe it was probably herbivorous or omnivorous.
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Scientists discover 210-million-year-old dinosaur in Zimbabwe
A newly discovered dinosaur from Zimbabwe is offering fresh clues to how the animals diversified, suggesting they spread across distinct ecosystems in southern
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