South African scientists have found out what the herbivorous dinosaur Ledumahadi mafube looked like, the remains of which were discovered in 2017 in South Africa, and also determined its age. It turned out that the lizard lived on Earth 200 million years ago. According to researchers, the weight of the reptile was 12 tons, and the height of the animal reached 4 m. Such dimensions make L. mafube the largest representative of the animal kingdom of the Jurassic period.
The remains of a previously unknown dinosaur species called Ledumahadi mafube have been found in the vicinity of the small town of Clarence in South Africa. Scientists from the University of the Witwatersrand found out what the reptile looked like, and also determined its age. It turned out that the dinosaur lived on Earth 200 million years ago.
The results of the study of the skeletal fossils showed that the weight of the ancient lizard was 12 tons, and the height reached 4 m. According to researchers, such parameters make L. mafube the largest representative of the animal kingdom of the Jurassic period.
Intermediate
The bones belonging to L. mafube were first discovered by paleontologists back in 1988. However, the last link, which made it possible to accurately recreate the appearance of a dinosaur, was only discovered in 2017.
On a cut of the bones of L. mafube, scientists have found growth lines that resemble tree rings. After analyzing their structure, the researchers found that at the time of death, the dinosaur was 14 years old and he managed to reach the size of an adult.
According to paleontologists, L. mafube was a close "relative" of sauropods - four-legged herbivorous dinosaurs that lived from the Jurassic to the Cretaceous (200-85 million years ago). However, while sauropods in the structure of their limbs resembled modern elephants, in L. mafube the forelimbs were somewhat bent. This, the researchers believe, sheds light on the evolutionary history of sauropods.
Promotional video:
Having studied the remains of L. mafube, South African scientists also clarified the date of the appearance of the first giant lizards, and as a result, it shifted 10 million years ago.
“What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think about giant lizards? Usually these are tyrannosaurs and representatives of sauropods - brontosaurs, the remains of which were found in the western United States. However, L. mafube is much larger than Tyrannosaurus rex and is as large as many sauropods. At the same time, L. mafube is at least 10 million years older than any of the mentioned species. This means that huge animals inhabited Africa long before the appearance of tyrannosaurs and brontosaurs,”- said lead author of the study, Iona Chuanier.
Tyrannosaurus T-Rex.
"Side" discoveries
During the study, scientists also clarified what the territory of South Africa looked like 200 million years ago.
“After analyzing the layers of sediment that contained the bones, we found that much of South Africa was an extremely arid region with shallow streams. This is in stark contrast to the scenic mountain landscapes that South Africans see today,”said study co-author Emese Bordi, a paleontologist at the University of Cape Town.
South African researchers were able to contribute to the development of geology: scientists were able to refute the hypothesis that at the beginning of the Jurassic period a single supercontinent Pangea began to disintegrate into separate continents.
L. mafube turned out to be a close relative of other giant lizards that lived at the same time, but in the territory of modern Argentina. This means that Pangea still united the land during the early Jurassic period and dinosaurs could “make the journey from Johannesburg to Buenos Aires,” Chuanier said.
Anastasia Ksenofontova