Shingopana

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Shingopana
Temporal range: Early Cretaceous
~110–100 Ma
PreꞒ
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S
D
C
P
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Pg
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Scientific classification e
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

Shingopana (meaning "wide neck" in Swahili) is a genus of titanosaurian sauropod from the Lower Cretaceous (Albian age) Galula Formation of Tanzania. It is known from only the type species, S. songwensis.[1] 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.[1]

Discovery and naming[]

Part of the holotype was discovered in 2002 by scientists affiliated with the Rukwa Rift Basin Project, which was run by Patrick O'Connor and Nancy Stevens.[1] The rest of the skeleton was excavated during the following years. The holotype was mentioned in 2011 when the sauropod Aeolosaurus maximus (now Arrudatitan maximus) was named and described,[2] and the species Shingopana songwensis was officially named in 2017.[1]

Description[]

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.[1]

Skeleton[]

The holotype was damaged by insect bore holes shortly after the animal died.[1]

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.[1]

Four ribs have been preserved with the holotype, but none are complete. The ribs had flanged edges, but their function is currently unknown.[1]

An almost complete humerus and a partial pubis were also present in the holotype.

Classification[]

Shingopana has been classified within the Aeolosaurini as early as 2011,[2] before the animal was given a name.[verification needed]

Palaeoecology[]

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[3] and Mnyamawamtuka,[4] the mesoeucrocodiles Pakasuchus[5] and Rukwasuchus,[6] the mammal Galulatherium,[3] an unnamed notosuchian, an unnamed turtle, an unnamed theropod[3] and two types of lungfish ( and an unnamed genus).

See also[]

  • 2017 in archosaur paleontology

References[]

  1. ^ 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. doi:10.1080/02724634.2017.1343250. S2CID 90885040.
  2. ^ a b Rodrigo M. Santucci and Antonio C. de Arruda-Campos (2011). "A new sauropod (Macronaria, Titanosauria) from the Adamantina Formation, Bauru Group, Upper Cretaceous of Brazil and the phylogenetic relationships of Aeolosaurini" (PDF). Zootaxa. 3085: 1–33. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3085.1.1.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ 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. doi:10.1080/02724634.2013.819808. ISSN 0272-4634. S2CID 16644660.


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