An international team of paleontologists has recently announced their discovery of what is believed to be the oldest dinosaur skeleton in Africa.
The skeleton of Mbiresaurus raathi, a long-necked herbivorous dinosaur, was found in northern Zimbabwe. Researchers indicate that Mbiresaurus raathi lived over 230 million years ago.
Artist’s rendering of the dinosaur Mbiresaurus raathi. (Source: Business Insider).
Mbiresaurus raathi measures approximately 1.8 meters in length, featuring a notably long tail, and weighs between 10 to 32 kg. It is classified as a member of the long-necked dinosaur group known as sauropodomorphs.
The nearly intact skeleton was discovered by Christopher Griffin, a student from Virginia Tech in the United States, along with other paleontologists, during two excavation trips in Zimbabwe in 2017 and 2019.
This international team of scientists reported that the only missing bones from the dinosaur are a hand bone fragment and a skull fragment.
Griffin stated: “The discovery of Mbiresaurus raathi’s bones fills an important geographical gap in the fossil record of the oldest dinosaurs. This finding also highlights the power of hypothesis-driven field research to test predictions about ancient history.”
According to scientists, Mbiresaurus raathi stood on two legs and had a relatively small head, with serrated, triangular teeth in its mouth.
Christopher Griffin during an excavation in Zimbabwe. (Source: Business Insider)
“These are the oldest dinosaurs we know of that lived in the African region. Their age is nearly equivalent to the oldest dinosaurs found anywhere else in the world,” Griffin remarked. “The oldest known dinosaurs, which lived around 230 million years ago during the Carnian stage of the Late Triassic, are also extremely rare and have only been discovered in a few locations across the globe, primarily in northern Argentina, southern Brazil, and India.”
The majority of the Mbiresaurus skeleton is currently housed at the Derring Hall of Virginia Tech for cleaning and research purposes.
However, once research is complete, the skeleton will be transferred to the Zimbabwe Museum of Natural History in Bulawayo, along with any additional fossils found in the area.
“The fact that the Mbiresaurus skeleton was found in an almost complete state makes it an excellent reference for future discoveries,” Michel Zondo, the curator and fossil preparator at the Zimbabwe Museum of Natural History, stated in a press release.
He added: “This is the first sauropodomorph dinosaur of such size found in Zimbabwe. Most sauropodomorph dinosaurs we have previously found tend to be of medium to large size.”
