[Animals] They unearth the skeleton of the oldest dinosaur in Africa from 230 million years ago

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The oldest dinosaur in Africa could be a turning point in the development of new theories about the dispersal of these animals
Much remains to be known about dinosaurs and their passage through the earth. New discoveries are continually being reported that help piece together the puzzle of the truth about these animals. One of the most recent and impressive finds is that related to the oldest dinosaur in Africa, found to date.

The case in question has to do with what happened in Zimbabwe. In the north of this African nation, a group of paleontologists, led by the Polytechnic Institute and Virginia State University, found a skeleton of what would be a sauropodomorph. This species of dinosaur would turn out to be part of a group of long-necked herbivores. It is also worth saying that the fossil, which dates back to 230 million years ago, was found almost in its entirety. This is what we know.

The oldest dinosaur in Africa
The discovery, published in the journal Nature, represented the end result of excavation work that began five years ago. This project had to be stopped, on several occasions, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the patience and persistence of the team materialized in this great find.

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Christopher Griffin, head of the investigation, reports that the skeleton is almost complete; he is only missing a hand and fragments of the skull. On the other hand, the oldest dinosaur in Africa was named Mbiresaurus raathi. "Mbire" stands for the district of Zimbabwe where the fossil was found. As for “raath”, this is in honor of Michael Raath, one of those involved in the first discoveries in the area.

“WE NEVER EXPECTED TO FIND SUCH A COMPLETE AND WELL PRESERVED DINOSAUR SKELETON. WHEN I FOUND THE FEMUR OF MBIRESAURUS, I RECOGNIZED IMMEDIATELY THAT IT BELONGED TO A DINOSAUR AND I KNEW I WAS IN MY HANDS THE OLDEST DINOSAUR EVER FOUND IN AFRICA”, MENTION CHRISTOPHER GRIFFIN, PROJECT LEADER.

The characteristics of the Mbiresaurus raathi are those of a small dinosaur, when compared to other sauropodomorphs. According to what the research team reports, this species must have been 1.8 meters long and its weight must have been between 9 and almost 30 kilos. Mbiresaurus raathi is also said to have stood on two legs, had a small head and a long tail. The triangular shape of its teeth suggests that this dinosaur was herbivorous or, alternatively, omnivorous.

Along with the discovery of the oldest dinosaur in Africa, there were also other discoveries. These correspond to the Upper Triassic period. Examples of the above are the rhynchosaurs (ancient reptiles), and the cynodonts and ethosaurs (ancestors of mammals and crocodiles, respectively).

The dispersion of the dinosaurs was conditioned by climatic factors
In the first instance, it can be said that having found such an ancient dinosaur helps to better understand the other sauropodomorphs and how they changed. There is now a better idea of the anatomy of the earliest dinosaurs in this group. On the other hand, paleontologists have managed to broaden their notion of the ecosystem where Mbiresaurus raathi lived.

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However, something that is most remarkable is what it has to do with how the dinosaurs spread. During the Triassic period all the continents were united and formed the Pangea. This implies that areas, currently divided by the Atlantic, were together at that time and, therefore, there was so much fauna and flora shared in regions that today are so distant from each other.

Seeing the fact in this way, the great similarity between the oldest dinosaur in Africa and other sauropodomorphs found in Brazil, for example, can be appreciated. The researchers take other research as a starting point to sort out new theories related to the dispersal of dinosaurs. According to this new view, what held these animals back during the Triassic were not physical barriers, but rather climatic barriers.

It is very possible that the dinosaurs of that period did not move to other areas of Pangea until the climatic conditions became favorable. This, in general, would help to better understand the reason why some of these animals, found in Brazil, central-southern Africa and India, had so much in common and were found in the same range.

https://www.ngenespanol.com/animales/dinosaurio-mas-antiguo-de-africa-es-encontrado-en-el-norte-de-zimbabue/