Shingopana
Shingopana (meaning "wide neck" in Swahili) is a genus of titanosaurian sauropod from the Upper Cretaceous (late Campanian-early Maastrichtian[2] age) Galula Formation of Tanzania. It is known from only the type species, S. songwensis.[3] Gorscak & O'Connor's phylogenetic testing suggest Shingopana is more closely related to the South American titanosaur family of Aeolosaurini than any of the titanosaurs found so far in North & South Africa.[3]
| Shingopana | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Clade: | †Sauropodomorpha |
| Clade: | †Sauropoda |
| Clade: | †Macronaria |
| Clade: | †Titanosauria |
| Clade: | †Lithostrotia |
| Clade: | †Aeolosaurini |
| Genus: | †Shingopana Gorscak et al. 2017 |
| Type species | |
| †Shingopana songwensis Gorscak et al. 2017 | |
Discovery and naming edit
Part of the holotype, TZ-07, was discovered in 2002 by scientists affiliated with the Rukwa Rift Basin Project, which was run by Patrick O'Connor and Nancy Stevens.[3] The rest of the skeleton was excavated during the following years. The species Shingopana songwensis was officially named in 2017.[3]
Description edit
Shingopana was a quadrupedal Aeolosaurin sauropod that would have reached up to 8 metres (26 ft) long when fully grown, smaller than the average sauropod.[3]
Skeleton edit
The holotype was damaged by insect bore holes shortly after the animal died.[3]
Shingopana is known from a partial jaw, represented by the angular bone. Shingopana is also known from four cervical vertebrae; with two of these vertebrae having preserved cervical ribs and another isolated cervical rib. Shingopana instead had remnants of a bulbous expansion on the incompletely preserved cervical vertebrae, which probably helped to strengthen its neck.[3]
Four ribs have been preserved with the holotype, but none are complete. The ribs had flanged edges, but their function is currently unknown.[3]
An almost complete humerus and a partial pubis were also present in the holotype.
Classification edit
Palaeoecology edit
The holotype was discovered in the Upper Cretaceous Galula Formation of the Rukwa Rift Basin in Tanzania. It would have coexisted with the sauropods Rukwatitan[4] and Mnyamawamtuka,[5] the mesoeucrocodiles Pakasuchus[6] and Rukwasuchus,[7] the mammal Galulatherium,[4] an unnamed notosuchian, an unnamed turtle, an unnamed theropod[4] and two types of lungfish (Lupaceradotus and an unnamed genus).
See also edit
References edit
- ^ Ogg, J.G. (2012), "Geomagnetic Polarity Time Scale", The Geologic Time Scale, Elsevier, pp. 85–113, doi:10.1016/b978-0-444-59425-9.00005-6, ISBN 978-0-444-59425-9, S2CID 127887632
- ^ Widlansky, Sarah J.; Clyde, William C.; O'Connor, Patrick M.; Roberts, Eric M.; Stevens, Nancy J. (2018-03-01). "Paleomagnetism of the Cretaceous Galula Formation and implications for vertebrate evolution". Journal of African Earth Sciences. 139: 403–420. Bibcode:2018JAfES.139..403W. doi:10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2017.11.029. ISSN 1464-343X.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Gorscak, E.; O'Connor, P. M.; Roberts, E. M.; Stevens, N. J. (2017). "The second titanosaurian (Dinosauria: Sauropoda) from the middle Cretaceous Galula Formation, southwestern Tanzania, with remarks on African titanosaurian diversity". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 361 (4): 35–55. Bibcode:2017JVPal..37E3250G. doi:10.1080/02724634.2017.1343250. S2CID 90885040.
- ^ a b c O’Connor, Patrick M.; Gottfried, Michael D.; Stevens, Nancy J.; Roberts, Eric M.; Ngasala, Sifa; Kapilima, Saidi; Chami, Remigius (March 2006). "A new vertebrate fauna from the Cretaceous Red Sandstone Group, Rukwa Rift Basin, Southwestern Tanzania". Journal of African Earth Sciences. 44 (3): 277–288. Bibcode:2006JAfES..44..277O. doi:10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2005.11.022. ISSN 1464-343X.
- ^ Gorscak, Eric; O’Connor, Patrick M. (2019). "A new African titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur from the middle Cretaceous Galula Formation (Mtuka Member), Rukwa Rift Basin, southwestern Tanzania". PLoS ONE. 2 (14): e0211412. Bibcode:2019PLoSO..1411412G. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0211412. PMC 6374010. PMID 30759122.
- ^ O’Connor, Patrick M.; Sertich, Joseph J. W.; Stevens, Nancy J.; Roberts, Eric M.; Gottfried, Michael D.; Hieronymus, Tobin L.; Jinnah, Zubair A.; Ridgely, Ryan; Ngasala, Sifa E. (August 2010). "The evolution of mammal-like crocodyliforms in the Cretaceous Period of Gondwana". Nature. 466 (7307): 748–751. Bibcode:2010Natur.466..748O. doi:10.1038/nature09061. ISSN 0028-0836. PMID 20686573. S2CID 4405106.
- ^ Sertich, Joseph J. W.; O’Connor, Patrick M. (2014-04-16). "A new crocodyliform from the middle Cretaceous Galula Formation, southwestern Tanzania". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 34 (3): 576–596. Bibcode:2014JVPal..34..576S. doi:10.1080/02724634.2013.819808. ISSN 0272-4634. S2CID 16644660.