Scientists Find Fossils of Rare Dinosaur in Tanzania

Introduction

The United Republic of Tanzania is a country with the tallest mountain in Africa—Kilimanjaro. It is in East Africa and is made up of the islands of Zanzibar and the mainland territory that was formally Tanganyika before the union. Tanzania is a member of the East African Community that brings together Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, the Democratic republic of Congo, Rwanda and Burundi. Several human fossils have been discovered there, notably at Olduvai gorge. For the first time, fossils of a dinosaur have also been discovered in Songwe.

Dinosaur fossils are the preserved remains or traces of dinosaurs that lived millions of years ago. These can include bones, teeth, footprints, and even skin impressions that have been turned into stone over time. Dinosaurs were reptiles of differing diets. Some are carnivores, while others are herbivores. Many dinosaurs were gigantic, weighing up to 100 tonnes. Nearly 1000 species of dinosaurs have been identified from different places around the world. The word dinosaur is from Greek meaning ‘terrible lizard.’ Dinosaurs have strong hind legs suitable for lurching forward.

The Tanzanian Dinosaur Fossils

The fossils of a herbivorous dinosaur previously thought to have only lived in South America have been discovered in Tanzania, challenging previous scientific theories about the reptile's habitat. The fossil of a dinosaur has been named Shingopana Songwensis. The name is derived from the Kiswahili term shingo pana (wide neck) and the region where it was discovered, the Songwe region of the Great Rift Valley. This discovery suggests that the animals of northern and southern Africa were very different in the Cretaceous Period, according to Judy Skog, a program director at the National Science Foundation, which funded the study.

The dinosaur is believed to be a member of the gigantic, long-necked sauropods, which are the giants of the dinosaur family. The fossils are estimated to be from the Cretaceous Period, noted for being the last portion of the "Age of Dinosaurs," There are three major dinosaur periods: Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous.

1.       Triassic period

The first dinosaur appeared during this period which was up to 205 million years ago. The Giant Sauropod evolved in this era.

2.       Jurassic period

In this period, Sauropods were the dominant herbivorous dinosaurs. 205 -135 million years ago

3.       Cretaceous period

A more solidly armored type evolved in this period. An example is the three horned triceratops.  I35– 60 Million years ago. Dinosaurs vanished about this period. There are numerous theories about what exactly happened, but scientists do not have one common theory.  

Unique Characteristics of Shingopana songwensis

After performing numerous analyses on the skeletons, the team of paleontologists determined that the animal was different from other dinosaurs identified before, including those previously discovered in other parts of Africa. Using both traditional and new computational approaches, the scientists were able to place the new species within the family tree of sauropod dinosaurs. They have also determined both its uniqueness as a species and delineate other species with which it is most closely related.

Later, more portions of the dinosaur skeleton, including its neck vertebrae, ribs, and lower jaw, were recovered. It is believed that the dinosaur roamed ancient southern Africa alongside another gigantic plant-eating dinosaur named Rukwatitan Bisepultus, which weighed nearly 8,000 kg. It was discovered by the same team of scientists in 2014.

The Arrival of Humans

Divisions between tectonic plates may explain the differences between dinosaurs. Evidence suggests that northern and southern Africa were divided during the Cretaceous era. Dinosaur fossils provide critical insights into the prehistoric world, helping scientists understand the diversity of life that existed millions of years ago, the environments in which these creatures lived, and how they evolved over time. South African dinosaurs were closely related to those in South America and were more widespread than previously known. Upright man is more resent, appearing in the period after Cretaceous, estimated to have evolved about around 4 million years ago, when Australopithecines roamed the earth. The period after Cretaceous is known as Tertiary.

Conclusion

Scientists Have hardly scratched the surface as far as understanding the diversity of various organisms and the environments in which they lived on the African continent during the Late Cretaceous epoch. This is even after the fossils of a dinosaur previously thought to have only lived in South America was discovered in Tanzania, East Africa. They are estimated to be from the Cretaceous Period, about 70 to 100 million years ago. The dinosaur, a member long-necked sauropods, are giants of the dinosaur family. Part of the dinosaur fossils, named Shingopana songwensis, were excavated in 2002 by scientists affiliated with the Rukwa Rift Basin Project. This is an international effort led by Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine researchers.

 

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