In Zimbabwe, paleontologists have described a new species of dinosaur, Musango matusadonaensis. The find changes the understanding of Africa's ecosystems during the Late Triassic epoch. This is reported by phys.org, writes UNN.
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An international group of paleontologists described a new species of ancient reptile based on a skeleton excavated in 2018 in northern Zimbabwe. The animal lived approximately 210 million years ago during the Late Triassic period. The dinosaur's name comes from the word "musango" in the Shona language, which translates as "the one who lives in the bushes."
Musango matusadonaensis had a light body structure. Its length was about 4.5 meters, and its mass was approximately 222 kilograms. The fossil contains well-preserved vertebrae, ribs, and limbs. Paleontologists determined that the animal was about eight years old. Traces of a past injury or infection were also found on the bones. The skull has not been preserved, but scientists believe the dinosaur was herbivorous or omnivorous.
One of the authors of the work, Paul Barrett from the Natural History Museum in London, noted: "Until recently, it was believed that the dinosaur fauna of South Africa was uniform." The find shows that the region consisted of different ecosystems. The results of the study were published in the journal "Journal of Systematic Palaeontology."