Angolatitan is a name that means “Angolan giant.”
It is a type of dinosaur known as a titanosauriform, which lived during the Late Cretaceous period. This makes it a very ancient creature that roamed the Earth around 83 to 70 million years ago.
Angolatitan is special because it is the first known non-avian dinosaur discovered in Angola. The only known species of this dinosaur is called Angolatitan adamastor. The remains we have today come from a partial right forelimb, which includes a shoulder blade and some bones of its arm and hand.
**Discovery**
The discovery of Angolatitan happened after the Angolan Civil War when a project started to explore Angola’s rich fossil sites. In 2005, the first expeditions were undertaken, and on May 25, 2006, fossil remains were found near Iembe in Bengo province by a paleontologist named Octávio Mateus.
The name “adamastor” comes from a mythical sea monster that represented dangers faced by sailors long ago.
**Description**
The fossils of Angolatitan include parts of its arm like the upper arm bone, which measures about 110 centimeters long, and the ulna bone, which is about 69 centimeters long.
Compared to other more advanced titanosaurs, Angolatitan had a less robust forelimb, which means its arm was not as thick or strong. Its hand bones were more slender and equal in size, unlike other titanosaurs that had varied lengths and thicker bones.
**Classification**
Angolatitan was classified as a basal titanosauriform. This means it is one of the earlier forms in the evolutionary family of titanosaur dinosaurs. It lived at a time when many derived titanosaurs were common, yet Angolatitan was somewhat different, being less evolved than some of its relatives.
**Paleoecology**
The fossils were found in a specific area called the Itombe Formation, which has layers of rock that were created under marine conditions, meaning it was once covered by ocean water. They discovered other creatures like turtles and mosasaurs, which are marine reptiles.
The area where Angolatitan lived might have been quite dry and desert-like, so this dinosaur could have been well adapted to survive in such conditions, similar to how modern desert elephants adapt to their environment.
In summary, Angolatitan is an important piece of the dinosaur puzzle in understanding the diverse life that once existed in ancient Angola.