Source by: Only Dinosaurs
Whenever we discuss the discovery of dinosaur fossils, it is mostly in the continents of Europe and Asia. However, researchers have recently discovered new dinosaur fossils in Egypt that could resolve the long-lost mystery of African dinosaurs.
Africa isn’t particularly known for its dinosaur fossils compared to Europe, Asia, and North and South America. Still, the dinosaurs that lived on the
African continents throughout the Mesozoic Era were some of the most aggressive in the world. So, without further ado, let’s get to know the natural history of these deadly dinosaurs of Africa.
How was the Fossil of an African Dinosaur Unearthed?
Source by: Google
For the past 30 million years, Africa’s dinosaur evolution has remained unsolved. In fact, it was very rare to hear about the dinosaurs of Africa as their fossils went out missing beneath the lush green fields. Recently a discovery of new species of dinosaur has been unearthed in the Egyptian deserts. Many paleontologists believe these fossils might help us unveil the missing history of the dinosaurs of Africa.
During an expedition, paleontologists from Mansoura University, Egypt, unearthed bones of a giant dinosaur that belonged to the end of the Age era of dinosaurs in Africa. The Discovery of Mansourasaurus has helped to address animals that lived previously on the continent and how they were related.
Africa has a huge fossil record gap relating to the cretaceous age of dinosaurs; as a result, unearthing Mansourasaurus was indeed a huge accomplishment.
How are the Dinosaurs of Africa Different from Those of Asia and Europe?
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Earth’s continents have a very limited fossil record that dates back to some 100 and 66 million years ago. Science believes that the evolution of dinosaurs some 80 million years ago was somehow strange. Dinosaurs of that era had long necks, used to eat plants, and were huge in length.
As soon as the bones of the Mansourasaurus were unearthed, scientists found that they were closely related to the ones that belonged to Europe and Asia. Scientists believed that dinosaurs in that era might have migrated from Africa to Europe, which gave them this peculiar look.
Mansourasaurus belonged to the Titanosauria group of sauropods. It had a long neck and was gigantic, a common feature of dinosaurs in the Cretaceous period. At one point, the mansourasaurus was one of the largest land animals in the world.
Source by: Unsplash
The fossil unearthed also revealed that it belonged to the end of the Cretaceous period in Africa. There are still visible remnants of the skull, lower jaw, ribs, the majority of the shoulder and forelimb, a portion of the hind foot, and dermal plate fragments.
Previously many remains of sauropods have been discovered in Madagascar; however, they were traces of teeth and other bones. According to the Imperial College, London study, the discovery of Mansourasaurus shows that Africa can still reveal a much richer fossil record.
What are Some Important Dinosaurs of Africa?
Source by: Google
Four of the most important dinosaurs of Africa were:
Spinosaurus
Source by: Google
Spinosaurus was the biggest meat-eating dinosaur that lived on the planet earth. Its skull was narrow like those of crocodiles. Sadly there is no evidence of its fossils as they were destroyed during World War II.
Aardonyx
Source by: Dinosaur Pictures
Aardonyx belonged to the early prosauropods and dates way back to the early Jurassic period.
Heterodontosaurus
Source by: Fandom
Heterodontosaurus also dates back to the earliest Jurassic period. They gradually began to evolve into plant-eating species of dinosaurs and had a confusing array of teeth.
Vulcanodon
Source by: A Dinosaur A Day
Vulcanodn evolved between the early Jurassic and Triassic periods. They were small in size, most probably about 20 feet long.
What Dinosaurs were Discovered in South Africa?
Source by: Google
A South African field museum recently discovered new species of dinosaurs. Among them, the most important were the Eocursor and Massospondylus.
The Eocursor was truly discovered in southern Africa. Researchers believe it evolved in south Africa and America some 230 million years ago as an omnivorous dinosaur.
On the other hand, the Massospondylus belonged to southern Africa and was the first prosauropod to be named.
What Dinosaurs were Discovered in North Africa?
Source by: Google
Early in the Late Cretaceous, diverse species of dinosaurs used to live in North Africa. Among them, the two most famous dinosaurs were Ourabosaurus and Afrovenator.
Ouranosaurus was one of the few identified duck-billed dinosaurs that evolved in northern Africa. It had these spines in its backbone, similar to a camel’s hump. Meanwhile, the Afrovenator was among the very few dinosaurs of northern Africa whose complete fossils have been discovered. It was huge but not as huge as the spinosaurus.
FAQs About the Dinosaurs of Africa
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Was there any T-Rex in Africa?
T-Rex was the last dinosaur species that roamed planet earth before it underwent mass extinction. Most of the time, they lived on Laramindia Island, now known as northwestern America.
How was Each Continent Separated During the Triassic Period?
The earth’s continents were compiled together into one large land mass during the Jurassic and Triassic periods called Pangea.
Conclusion
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The Discovery of the African dinosaurs, including the new dinosaur Mansourasaurus, indicates Africa still has a rich fossil record to unveil. If you have ever wondered how huge a dinosaur would be and what their fossils would look like in real life, then purchase one from here and have your dream come true!
