Musango

Musango matusadonaensis

Musango ate plants and walked on two legs. It lived in the Late Triassic. Bones have been found in Zimbabwe.

When: Late Triassic (Norian) · roughly 227.3 to 205.7 million years ago
Named in: 2026 · Barrett, P. M.; Botha, J.; Sciscio, L.; Stuart, B. P.; Lovegrove, J.; Munyikwa, D.; Zondo, M.; Broderick, T. J.; Edwards, S. F.; Mbambo, E.; Chapelle, K. E. J.; Dollman, K. N.; Tolan, S.; Choiniere, J. N.
Hip height: Not established
Length: Not established
Weight: 165–278 kg · 364–613 lb
Found in: Zimbabwe · Pebbly Arkose
Food and walking: Herbivore · Two legs
Kind: early long-neck · Sauropodomorph
Family branch: Unaysauridae

The story in short

The genus Musango dates to 2026, the year P. M. Barrett and colleagues described it. The name means “living in the bush.”

Fossils referred to Musango date to the Late Triassic (Norian), roughly 227.3 to 205.7 million years ago. Finds come from Zimbabwe, including the Pebbly Arkose Formation. It was a herbivore and walked on two legs.

Published estimates put Musango at a body mass around 165–278 kg.

On the family tree it sits in Unaysauridae, among the early long-necked dinosaurs.

Close relatives

Jaklapallisaurus

Jaklapallisaurus asymmetricus

Late Triassic (Norian) · roughly 227.3 to 205.7 million years ago

Macrocollum

Macrocollum itaquii

Late Triassic (Norian) · roughly 227.3 to 205.7 million years ago

Unaysaurus

Unaysaurus tolentinoi

Late Triassic (Norian) · roughly 227.3 to 205.7 million years ago