Paleontologists have identified a new species of titanosaurian dinosaur.
The new dinosaur is called Shingopana songwensis, derived from the Swahili term “shingopana” for “wide neck”; the fossils were discovered in the Songwe region of the Great Rift Valley in southwestern Tanzania.
The new species is a member of the gigantic, long-necked sauropods. Its fossil remains were recovered from Cretaceous Period (70-100 million years ago) rocks in southwestern Tanzania.
Titanosaur skeletons have been found worldwide, but are best known from South America. Fossils in this group are rare in Africa.