A newly identified genus and species of titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur, related to South American forms, has been unveiled by a research team led by the University of Bath, including Dr. Nick Longrich.
Phosphatotitan khouribgaensis thrived in present-day Morocco during the “late but not latest” Maastrichtian epoch of the Cretaceous period, around 70 million years ago.
“The closing Cretaceous epoch witnessed the last diversification of dinosaurs, leading up to the end-Cretaceous extinction,” noted Longrich and team in their research.
“Discussions about Cretaceous dinosaur diversity have largely concentrated on the well-documented fauna of Laurasia.”
“However, there’s limited information about the dinosaur species from the Southern Hemisphere, particularly Africa.”
Fossils of Phosphatotitan khouribgaensis were excavated from the Sidi Shenan phosphate deposit in the Ourad Abdoun Basin, located in the Kouribga region of Morocco.
The fossil collection includes sacrum, parts of the pelvis, dorsal and caudal vertebrae.
“The phosphates in the Ourad-Aboun Basin consist of a mix of phosphate sandstone, marl, and limestone,” the paleontologists explained.
“These materials were formed in warm, shallow continental oceans and are part of a phosphate belt that developed along the Atlantic and Tethyan Seas during the Late Cretaceous and early Paleogene.”
Despite its North African origins, Phosphatotitan khouribgaensis appears closely linked to the Lognkosauria, a group of titanosaurs previously identified only in South America, known for harboring some of the largest land animals.
This connection implies that these dinosaurs roamed the ancient supercontinent Gondwana before the split of Africa and South America over 100 million years ago.
Alternatively, these dinosaurs could have crossed the narrow oceanic barrier between the two continents later on.
“This novel species differs from the titanosaurs described from Cretaceous Africa and Europe but bears resemblance to South American lognkosaurs, particularly Patagotitan,” the researchers remarked. “The dorsal and caudal centra are notably short, the neural spines are expanded, and the pubis is broad.”
In contrast to its giant South American cousins, Phosphatotitan khouribgaensis was relatively small, weighing an estimated 3.5 to 4 tons, significantly less than other titans like Patagotitan. This size reduction may be attributed to environmental factors or geographical isolation.
It is suggested that parts of North Africa might have acted as an island during the Late Cretaceous, a setting that typically favored smaller species.
Phosphatotitan khouribgaensis, akin to previously identified hadrosaurids, indicates that Morocco likely hosted a unique endemic population during the latest Cretaceous, distinct from other African fauna,” the authors noted.
“Increased sea levels during the Late Cretaceous could have led to isolated landmasses, resulting in distinctive faunas shaped by geographic isolation and local extinctions.”
“The substantial endemism observed among modern Cretaceous dinosaurs suggests a potentially incomplete understanding of dinosaur diversity, complicating efforts to discern global patterns prior to the end-Cretaceous extinction.”
The discovery of Phosphatotitan khouribgaensis is documented in a study published in the journal Diversity.
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Nicholas R. Longrich et al. 2026. Titanosaurian sauropods (Lognkosaurinae: Argentinosauridae) with South American affinities from the Late Maastrichtian of Morocco, and evidence of specific African dinosaur fauna. Diversity 18 (5): 241; doi: 10.3390/d18050241
Source: www.sci.news
