Open Paleo

Shingopana

Gorscak et al., 2017 SHEEN-go-PAH-nah

From Swahili 'shingo' meaning 'neck' and 'pana' meaning 'wide'; meaning 'wide neck', in reference to the animal's broad neck.

100.5–72.2 million years ago Cenomanian–Campanian, Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous stages

Shingopana is a genus of titanosaurian sauropod from the Upper Cretaceous (late Campanian-early Maastrichtian age) Galula Formation of Tanzania. It is known from only the type species, S. songwensis. 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 and South Africa.

Diagnosis

  1. Middle-to-posterior cervical vertebrae with divided spinoprezygapophyseal lamina forming a spinoprezygapophyseal lamina fossa near the base of an expanded neural spine.
  2. Bulbous lateral expansion of the neural spine in middle-to-posterior cervical vertebrae.
  3. Camellate internal texturing of cervical vertebrae.
  4. Elongated cervical rib shaft extending past succeeding vertebra.
  5. Proximal region of dorsal ribs with pneumatic foramina.
  6. Squared proximolateral corner of humerus.

Species

Shingopana songwensis Gorscak et al., 2017

Type species

Named for the Songwe region of Tanzania (the Rukwa Rift Basin), the area where the holotype was discovered.

Holotype
RRBP 02100 , Rukwa Rift Basin Project
Material
Left angular, partial anterior cervical vertebra, four partial middle-to-posterior cervical vertebrae, six partial cervical ribs, four partial dorsal ribs, nearly complete left humerus, and partial left pubis.
Horizon
Namba Member, Galula Formation, Cenomanian–Campanian, Late Cretaceous , 100.5–72.2 million years ago
Locality
TZ-07, Songwe, Tanzania

References

  1. 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 37(4): e1343250. Informa UK Limited. doi:10.1080/02724634.2017.1343250 gorscak2017a
  2. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Sauropods. Princeton University Press.

    Source of the mass and hip height estimates.

    jones2026b