Shingopana

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Shingopana
Temporal range: late
Ma
[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
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

Upper Cretaceous (late Campanian-early Maastrichtian[2] age) Galula Formation of Tanzania. It is known from only the type species, S. songwensis.[3] 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.[3]

Discovery and naming

Part of the holotype, TZ-07, was discovered in 2002 by scientists affiliated with the Rukwa Rift Basin Project, which was run by Patrick O'Connor and Nancy Stevens.[3] The rest of the skeleton was excavated during the following years. The species Shingopana songwensis was officially named in 2017.[3]

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.[3]

Skeleton

The holotype was damaged by insect bore holes shortly after the animal died.[3]

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.[3]

Four ribs have been preserved with the holotype, but none are complete. The ribs had flanged edges, but their function is currently unknown.[3]

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

Classification

Palaeoecology

The holotype was discovered in the

theropod[4] and two types of lungfish (Lupaceradotus
and an unnamed genus).

See also

References