New Late Triassic Dinosaur Musango matusadonaensis Discovered in Zimbabwe

Scientists have identified a new dinosaur species, Musango matusadonaensis, from fossils recovered on the shore of Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe. The sauropodomorph lived about 210 million years ago during the Late Triassic, measured roughly 4.5 metres in length and weighing around 222 kg.

The discovery, published in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, involved a collaborative team from the United Kingdom, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Lead author Professor Paul Barrett of the Natural History Museum in London explained that the find challenges the previous view that early southern‑African dinosaurs formed a uniform fauna, revealing instead a patchwork of distinct ecosystems across ancient Gondwana. The specimen appears to have been an omnivore, likely feeding on small vertebrates and plant matter.

Researchers estimate the individual was about eight years old at death and nearly fully grown. The find marks only the fifth dinosaur species ever named from Zimbabwe and adds valuable data on the diversity and evolution of early dinosaurs in southern Africa.