New Species of Titanosaurian Dinosaur Discovered in Tanzania

A new species of titanosaurian dinosaur was recently discovered in Tanzania, shedding light on a unique species that thrived during the final period of the dinosaur age.

Rukwatitan bisepultus lived approximately 100 million years ago during the middle of the Cretaceous Period. As a member of the large-bodied sauropods known as titanosaurians, R. bisepultus was undoubtedly large, possibly weighing as much as several elephants. Scientists from Ohio University unearthed the fossil in Tanzania, which makes it one of the few titanosaurian specimens recovered in Africa. Most other known examples have come from other regions, especially South America.

The scientists first spotted the fossil embedded in a cliff wall in the Rukwa Rift Basin of southwestern Tanzania. Further excavation produced the vertebrae, ribs, limbs and pelvic bones, and after performing CT scans of the remains, the research team determined that this dinosaur was unique compared to others previously discovered in parts of Africa.