An international team of scientists has identified a new dinosaur species from remains found years ago in Zimbabwe, a discovery highlighting the vast, largely unexplored potential of paleontology in Africa.
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Researchers first discovered scattered dinosaur bones in 2018 near Lake Kariba, one of the world's largest artificial lakes, during a risky expedition due to the presence of crocodiles, hippos, as well as lions and elephants roaming the area.
After 8 years of excavation and fossil analysis, scientists identified a new dinosaur species they named "Musangwe matusadonensis," according to a recent study.
The dinosaur lived around 210 million years ago, during the late Triassic period, and was among the early relatives of long-necked dinosaurs like Diplodocus, belonging to the sauropodomorph group.
Scientists estimated its length at about 4.5 meters, roughly the size of a small car, and its weight at around 222 kilograms. They believe the animal whose fossil was discovered died at approximately eight years old, after nearly reaching full growth.
Researchers suggested "Musangwe matusadonensis" was likely herbivorous, but said confirming its diet would require finding its skull.
The team recovered bones from the spine, ribs, and limbs, but did not find the head, whose teeth and jaws would have provided important information about the dinosaur's diet.
Expedition leader and study co-author Professor Jonah Choiniere of the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa said finding complete skeletons is extremely rare.
He added that only one sample out of every 100 might retain a connected skeleton, while only one out of every 10 of those samples includes a skull.
The name "Musangwe" means "living in the bush" in the local Shona language, referring to the remote area where the dinosaur was discovered, and honoring the wildlife guide who protected the scientists during the two-week expedition.
The species name "matusadonensis" comes from the nearby Matusadona National Park, where a safari camp owner had initially alerted researchers to the possible presence of fossils.
The team, which included scientists from Britain, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, used a mobile river laboratory boat before switching to small boats to reach remote excavation sites.
Choiniere said the large number of hippos in the area made the expedition "frightening," but it also gave the team an exceptional opportunity to observe wildlife up close.
"Musangwe matusadonensis" represents the team's second notable discovery in the region, following the earlier find of its relative "Musankwa sanyatiensis" during two expeditions in 2017 and 2018, before it was formally named in 2024.
Scientists believe the two species lived in the same environment alongside lungfish and crocodile-like phytosaurs, whose fossils were found at nearby sites.
