Shingopana Explained

Shingopana (meaning "wide neck" in Swahili) is a genus of titanosaurian sauropod from the Upper Cretaceous (late Campanian-early Maastrichtian^[1] age) Galula Formation of Tanzania. It is known from only the type species, S. songwensis.^[2] 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.

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. The rest of the skeleton was excavated during the following years. The species Shingopana songwensis was officially named in 2017.

Description

Shingopana was a quadrupedal Aeolosaurin sauropod that would have reached up to 8m (26feet) long when fully grown, smaller than the average sauropod.

Skeleton

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

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.

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

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

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

Notes and References

Widlansky. Sarah J.. Clyde. William C.. O'Connor. Patrick M.. Roberts. Eric M.. Stevens. Nancy J.. 2018-03-01. Paleomagnetism of the Cretaceous Galula Formation and implications for vertebrate evolution . Journal of African Earth Sciences. en. 139. 403–420. 10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2017.11.029. 2018JAfES.139..403W . 1464-343X. free.
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 . 10.1080/02724634.2017.1343250 . 361 . 4. 35–55 . 2017JVPal..37E3250G . 90885040.
Eric. Gorscak. Patrick M.. O’Connor. 2019. A new African titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur from the middle Cretaceous Galula Formation (Mtuka Member), Rukwa Rift Basin, southwestern Tanzania. PLoS ONE. 14. 2. e0211412. 10.1371/journal.pone.0211412. 6374010. 30759122. 2019PLoSO..1411412G. free.
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. 10.1038/nature09061. 20686573. 2010Natur.466..748O. 4405106. 0028-0836.
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. 10.1080/02724634.2013.819808. 2014JVPal..34..576S . 16644660. 0272-4634.
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. 10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2005.11.022. 2006JAfES..44..277O. 1464-343X.