Newly Identified Titanosaur 'Forgotten Lord of the Oasis' From 75 Million Years Ago Could Fill Gaps In Dinosaur History

The titanosaur finally got its name after almost 50 years since its bones were found across the Egyptian desert.

'Forgotten Lord of the Oasis'

The titanosaur species, named Igai semkhu, is from 75 million years ago and is unusually small, spanning just 10 to 15 meters in length. It used to dwell in present-day Kharga Oasis. Its name directly translates to "Forgotten Lord of the Oasis" in ancient Egyptian language and can also be jotted in hieroglyphics.

Paleontologist Matther Lamanna from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, who is an author of the study that detailed the titanosaur, explains that the titanosaur was named after an ancient Egyptian deity that was prehistorically worshiped in the oasis where it was from.

Previously Unknown Titanosaur

The fossils of the titanosaur were first chipped by German researchers in 1977 from rocks across Egypt's Western Desert. However, the specimen remained forgotten for several decades until the recent research team examined it again.

It was then that they discovered that the fossils pointed to a titanosaur genus and species that was previously unknown. Titanosaurus are considered a sauropod subgroup, with the latter covering herbivorous dinosaurs that have long necks, small heads, and huge bodies.

When the I. semkhu used to be alive 75 million years ago, the majority of sauropods were already extinct. Because of this, titanosaurs became the only living lineage of sauropods during the Cretaceous era that took place around 145 million to 66 million years ago.

Lamanna explains that titanosaurs are among the smallest sauropods that have ever been discovered, as they were roughly as big and as heavy as a cow and could go up to a humpback whale's size. Nevertheless, they were the largest animals on land that have ever existed.

Paleontologist Eric Gorscak from Midwestern University, who is also a co-author of the study, was able to estimate the creature's size from its leg bone pair. Lamanna explains that the estimate of its upper body, which is around a school bus' length, would make the creature "below average" compared to others.

Lamanna adds that since the remains of the titanosaur only comprises a couple of leg bones and a few vertebrae, its exact appearance is impossible to know. Nevertheless, fossils of the I. semkhu is still one of the most complete fossils of dinosaurs that have ever been found in Africa.

Anatomy professor John Whitlock from Mount Aloysius College in Pennsylvania, who did not participate in the study, notes that though the creature is still fragmentary, it is quite complete compared to the other contents of the record, Because of this, it is quite an important addition to current understanding.

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