Vahiny is a type of dinosaur that lived a long time ago, during the late Cretaceous period, around 70 to 66 million years ago.
This dinosaur’s name means “traveler” in Malagasy, the language spoken in Madagascar, where its fossils were found.
Vahiny is part of a group of long-necked dinosaurs called titanosaur sauropods. It was discovered in an area known as the Maevarano Formation in northwestern Madagascar.
The only specific type of Vahiny that we know about is called Vahiny depereti. It was described by two scientists, Kristina Curry Rogers and Jeffrey A. Wilson, in 2014.
Fossils of Vahiny are quite rare compared to another dinosaur from the same area called Rapetosaurus krausei, which is much more common. Scientists have found many bones of Rapetosaurus, including parts of its skeleton and skull, whereas Vahiny is only known from a piece of its braincase.
What makes Vahiny special is its unique features in the braincase, which help scientists tell it apart from other similar dinosaurs. These features include parts called the basal tubera and basipterygoid processes, among others.
While Vahiny shares some similarities with a dinosaur from India called Jainosaurus, and also with some dinosaurs from South America like Muyelensaurus and Pitekunsaurus, it’s important to note that Vahiny and Rapetosaurus are not closely related.
In summary, Vahiny was an interesting dinosaur that helps us learn more about the variety of life that existed millions of years ago, especially in Madagascar.