Open Paleo

Malawisaurus

Jacobs et al., 1993 mah-LAH-wee-SAWR-us

Named for Malawi, the African country where its fossils were discovered, combined with Greek 'sauros' meaning 'lizard'.

121.4–113.2 million years ago Aptian, Early Cretaceous
Early Cretaceous stages

Malawisaurus is an extinct genus of titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur. It is known from the Dinosaur Beds of northern Malawi, which probably date to the Aptian stage of the Early Cretaceous. The type species is M. dixeyi and the specific name honors Frederick Augustus Dixey.

Diagnosis

  1. Strongly procoelous anterior caudal vertebrae with short vertical neural spines
  2. Middle and distal caudal vertebrae gently biconcave (not procoelous)
  3. Transversely expanded ischium
  4. Premaxilla with blunt snout and external naris far anterior, positioned below the maxillary suture rather than anterior to it
  5. Flattened teeth, neither pencil-shaped nor broadly spatulate
  6. Low vertical neural spines in caudal vertebrae not extending beyond posterior margin of centrum

Species

Malawisaurus dixeyi Haughton, 1928

Type species

Named for Frederick Augustus Dixey, honoring contributions to the discovery and study of fossils in Malawi.

Holotype
SAM 7405 , Iziko South African Museum
Material
Anterior caudal vertebra, topotypic right pubis, incomplete scapula, and sternal plates from the same locality
Horizon
upper Dinosaur Beds Formation, Aptian, Early Cretaceous , 121.4–113.2 million years ago
Locality
Mwakasyunguti, Karonga, Malawi

References

  1. Haughton, S. H. (1928). On some reptilian remains from the Dinosaur Beds of Nyasaland. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa 16(1): 67-75. doi:10.1080/00359192809519658

    Original description of the species, as Gigantosaurus dixeyi.

    haughton1928a
  2. Jacobs, L. L.; Winkler, D. A.; Downs, W. R.; Gomani, E. M. (1993). New material of an Early Cretaceous titanosaurid sauropod dinosaur from Malawi. Palaeontology 36(3): 523-534.

    Erected the genus Malawisaurus for Haughton's species.

    jacobs1993a
  3. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Sauropods. Princeton University Press.

    Source of the hip height estimate, and the appearance features.

    jones2026b