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Ngwevu intloko: a new early sauropodomorph dinosaur from the Lower Jurassic Elliot Formation of South Africa and comments on cranial ontogeny in Massospondylus carinatus Project ID: 00000C735 Public
24 Media · 2 Specimens · Managed by: Kimberley (Kimi) Chapelle

Our knowledge of Early Jurassic palaeobiodiversity in the upper Elliot Formation of South Africa has increased markedly in recent years with the discovery of new fossils, re-assessments of previously collected material and a better understanding of Stormberg Group stratigraphy. Here, Ngwevu intloko, a new genus of upper Elliot basal sauropodomorph is named on the basis of a complete skull and partial skeleton (BP/1/4779) previously assigned to Massospondylus carinatus. It can be distinguished from all other basal sauropodomorphs by a combination of 16 cranial and five postcranial characters. The new species is compared to a small ontogenetic series of M. carinatus as well as to a range of closely related taxa. Taphonomic deformation, sexual dimorphism and ontogeny are rejected as possible explanations for the morphological differences present between BP/1/4779 and other taxa. Osteohistological examination reveals that BP/1/4779 had nearly reached adult size at the time of its death at a minimum age of 10 years.

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  ID Part Object Taxonomy Type Date Added Publication Status  
000072391 Skull wits:1:4376 Mesh 2019-03-23 Restricted Download  
000072389 Skull wits:1:4376 Mesh 2019-03-23 Restricted Download  
000072390 Skull wits:1:4376 Mesh 2019-03-23 Restricted Download  
000072388 Skull wits:1:4376 Mesh 2019-03-23 Restricted Download  
000072387 Skull wits:1:4376 Mesh 2019-03-23 Restricted Download  
000072386 Skull wits:1:4376 Mesh 2019-03-23 Restricted Download  
000072385 Skull wits:1:4376 Mesh 2019-03-23 Restricted Download  
000072384 Skull wits:1:4376 Mesh 2019-03-23 Restricted Download  
000072383 Skull wits:1:4376 Mesh 2019-03-23 Restricted Download  
000072382 Skull wits:1:4376 Mesh 2019-03-23 Restricted Download  
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