Mnyamawamtuka
From Kiswahili 'Mnyama wa Mtuka', meaning 'beast of the Mtuka river drainage', contracted to form the genus name.
Early Cretaceous and Late Cretaceous stages
Mnyamawamtuka is a genus of lithostrotian titanosaur sauropod dinosaur from the Cretaceous Galula Formation in Tanzania. The type and only species is M. moyowamkia.
Diagnosis
- Middle and posterior dorsal vertebrae with vertical lamina between neural canal and interpostzygapophyseal lamina that bifurcates dorsally
- Posterior dorsal vertebra with no interpostzygapophyseal lamina as postspinal lamina continues to dorsal margin of neural canal
- Prominent dorsolateral expansion on posterior centrum of middle caudal vertebra
- Curved crest with accompanying fossa within dorsomedial region of proximal scapular blade
- Sternal plate unusually small, estimated at most 42% of humerus length
Species
Mnyamawamtuka moyowamkia Gorscak & O'Connor, 2019
Type species
From Kiswahili 'moyo wa mkia' meaning 'heart of the tail', a reference to the heart-shaped cross-section of the rear facet of the middle tail vertebrae.
- Holotype
- RRBP 05834 , Rukwa Rift Basin Project
- Material
- Partial skeleton including cervical vertebral elements, dorsal and sacral vertebrae, caudal vertebrae, ribs, scapula, sternal plate, humerus, ulna, metacarpals, pubis, ischium, femora, tibia, fibula, metatarsals, pedal phalanges, and ungual
- Horizon
- Mtuka Member, Galula Formation, Aptian–Cenomanian, Early Cretaceous–Late Cretaceous , 121.4–93.9 million years ago
- Locality
- RRBP 2004-06, Songwe, Tanzania
References
- Gorscak, E.; O'Connor, P. M. (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. Public Library of Science (PLoS). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0211412 gorscak2019a