New dinosaur species discovered in Zimbabwe

Fossils of the sauropodomorph dinosaur were found on the shores of Spurwing Island in Lake Kariba when scientists embarked on an expedition to Northern Zimbabwe in 2018.

Scientists say the Musankwa is linked to the earliest-branching lineage within Massopoda (a group of sauropodomorph dinosaurs that lived during the Late Triassic to Late Cretaceous epochs). The dinosaur might have lived in a swampy woodland 210 million years ago.

The thigh, shin, and ankle bones were the parts of the Musankwa found and studied, leading researchers to believe there may be many other dinosaurs waiting to be discovered within the region.

Dr. Kimi Chapelle, a co-author of the research from Stony Brook University says this may be a result of undersampling of fossils within Africa compared to other areas of the world.

“African dinosaur fossils are underrepresented as a result of undersampling compared to other areas of the world,” Kimi says. “As a result, Musankwa sanyantiensis is the first dinosaur of its kind from Zimbabwe, and just the fourth dinosaur species ever found in the whole country. It highlights just how much potential the region has for further palaeontological discoveries,” The Zimbabwean quoted Kimi Chappelle as saying.

The team also discovered a variety of fossils, including the remains of crocodile-like phytosaurs, conifer trees, and ancient amphibians leading to suggestions that the area could have been a swampy woodland filled with water channels where dinosaurs lived some 210 million years ago.  

Lead author of the research Professor Paul Barett described Zimbabwe as a “potential gold mine” for scientists who may be looking into the exploration of dinosaurs within the region.

The paper was published in the journal Acta Palaeontologica Polonica.