Paleontologists have described a new species of dinosaur, Musango matusadonaensis, based on remains found in Zimbabwe. The discovery is reshaping understanding of late Triassic ecosystems in Africa, reports infohub.kz.
An international team of paleontologists studied the skeleton, which was excavated in 2018 in northern Zimbabwe. The specimen is about 210 million years old, dating to the late Triassic period. The dinosaur's name comes from the Shona word 'musango,' meaning 'living in the bush.'
Musango matusadonaensis had a light build: about 4.5 meters long and weighing roughly 222 kilograms. The fossil preserved vertebrae, ribs, and limbs well. Scientists determined the animal was around eight years old. The bones show signs of an injury or infection. The skull was not preserved, but the dinosaur is thought to have been herbivorous or omnivorous.
Paul Barrett, a co-author from the Natural History Museum in London, noted: 'Until recently, it was thought that the dinosaur fauna of southern Africa was uniform.' The find indicates the region consisted of different ecosystems. The results were published in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology.