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Scientists unveiled a newly discovered dinosaur species from Zimbabwe on Wednesday that provides fresh insights into early dinosaur diversification across southern Africa.
Palaeontologists named the newly identified species Musango matusadonaensis after excavating a well-preserved skeleton on the shores of Lake Kariba in 2018.
The discovery represents only the fifth dinosaur species ever identified in the country.
Musango lived roughly 210 million years ago during the Late Triassic period, a time when dinosaurs began expanding across the globe before gaining total ecological dominance.
Unlike their massive long-necked descendants, Musango had a relatively light build, measuring about 4.5 metres (15 feet) in length and weighing around 222 kilograms (490 pounds).
The fossil remains rank among Zimbabwe’s most complete skeletons from that era, preserving spine, rib, arm, leg, and foot bones.
Bone analysis indicates the dinosaur was approximately eight years old when it died and had previously recovered from a major injury or illness.
Researchers from the Natural History Museum in London noted that the discovery challenges long-held assumptions that uniform dinosaur populations inhabited southern Africa.
Instead, the finding indicates that the region contained distinct ecosystems supporting diverse species.
While researchers have not yet recovered the skull, they suspect Musango lived as a herbivore or omnivore, foraging along ancient riverbanks.
