Ajnabia is an extinct genus of small to medium sized lambeosaurine hadrosaur dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Period; of North Africa, specifically from Morocco environment. It existed 66 mya, just until K-Pg Extinction.
Description[]
Two Ajnabia either playing or fighting. Credit: medium.com
The generic name from the arabic word ajnabi, meaning "traveller". Its name's full extend means; 'the stranger' or foreigner.
Ajnabia diagram. Credit: cisiopurple
Its quite fitting; especially considering that this species and genus ended up on a habitat that is entirely unknown to them; as well as their presence being unknown to local fauna. The type and only species is A. odysseus.
- Odysseus is also a reference to greek mythology where the '' hero '' of the story Odysseuss has forced to travel the distant lands and endless seas for more than 40 years; because of angering borh Poseidon by injuring and blinding his cyclops son Polymeus and Athena by showing dishonorable and petty behavior in the Trojan wars.
Holotype maxilla of the lambeosaurine hadrosaurid Ajnabia odysseus from the Late Cretaceous (late Maastrichtian) Morocco. Credit: NickLongrich
It is the first named Hadrosaurid from Africa, and is thought to be related to European dinosaurs like Arenysaurus as well as Blasisaurus.
Paleontologists have referred to this species discovery being akin to '' finding actual kangaroos in the hearthlands of Scotland '' indicating an extreme amount of unlikeliness and oddity of this hadrosaurs occuring where they are.
It is recovered and extracted from what is now the Ouled Abdoun Basin of Morocco.
Researchers believe this is the first example of a duckbill dinosaur in Africa. Showing the fact that Ajnabia had to cross deep seas even oceans that were full of thriving Mosasaurus / Mosasauria as well as other predatory ocean animals such as Plesiosaurus / Plesiosauria. As there was literally no amount of land connecting than island continent Africa. Credit: University of Buton
Its discovery of location brought quite the suprise and revelation to the paleontology community. Until now the hadrosaur species had only been found throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Showing the fact that these genera ofbherbivorous dinosaurs; especially hadrosaurs were way much more widespread; durable; adaptable and prone to distant migrations; than previously interpreted. Specifically the hadrosaurs have theorized to evolve exclusively in North America, before spreading into Europe and Asia.
Migration and habitat[]
The Ajnabia traveling in and throughout the coastal areas of Northernmost Africa. Credit: Raul Martin
Its unclear how these Hadrosaurs were actually managed to reach the African continent as at the time this dinosaur lived, later periods of Cretaceous; the whole Africa was a truly island continent, surrounded by deep water.
Although the leading theory is that; they quite literally managed to swam hundreds of miles of inner seas; even parts of ocean; to reach their final destination!
Ajnabia illustration. Credit: a dinosaur a day
A truly impressive and astonishing feat. Especially knowing the vast majority of seaways were surrrounded; inhabited by thriving communities of Predatory Mosasaurus / Mosasauria and more predatory Plesiosauria.
Lifestyle and Ecology[]
Ajnabia illustration and chart. Credit: cqin @wzjbyg
Compared to many hadrosaur species and genuses; it attained a rather smaller size in both lenght and weight. Being only 3 to 4.5 long and 450 - 460 kilograms.
Similar to other hadrosaurs it was a herbivorous dinosaur that had to adapt to a very new albeit foreign environment with a whole new ecosystem. Its presumed that it traveled in herds ( medium to large sized flocks ) similar to other hadrosaurs and iguanadontids.
Ajnubai on comparission to colossal Shantungosaurus. Credit: cqin / @wzjbyg
Its adaptation includes surviving in a wholly differentiated weather climate; ecosystem; entirely new geography and; of course, several new species of plant material.
The adaptations most keen and dire part is also encountering several unrecognized ( by the newcomer lambosaur travelers ) dinosaur species whether those species were fellow herbivores, new carnivores or omnivores.
The habitat of the Northernmost Africa; when the Ajnabia present. Credit: Pyron et Jalil
Its unknown if the small to medium sized abelisaurids; that were thriving in the latest periods of cretaceous at Africa; were able to hunt a fully mature Ajnabia specimen; or Ajnabia being a regular prey item to them. However it is quite likely even probable; as being smaller than most hadrosaurs would make them more vulnerable.
However; the large numbers of their herd as well as their ability to traverse long distances; being highly agile; even fast and quick might have presumably protected them from active predation.
Other Wikis[]
https://prehistoric-wiki.fandom.com/wiki/Ajnabia
References[]
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-53447-9
- https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2024/02/361094/nature-scientific-journal-new-duck-billed-dinosaur-species-identified-in-morocco
- https://medium.com/prehistoric-tales/recently-discovered-dinosaur-swam-hundreds-of-miles-to-reach-new-continents-7ca9b5d9b7a9
- https://dinorover.debashish.com/dinos/ajnabia/
- https://dinoanimals.com/dinosaurdatabase/ajnabia-odysseus/
- https://phys.org/news/2024-02-african-duckbill-dinosaurs-evidence-ocean.html
- https://www.nicklongrich.com/blog/ajnabia-odysseus-the-first-duckbill-dinosaur-from-africa
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/346582740_The_first_duckbill_dinosaur_Hadrosauridae_Lambeosaurinae_from_Africa_and_the_role_of_oceanic_dispersal_in_dinosaur_biogeography
- https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-8917349/A-66-million-year-old-duckbilled-dinosaur-unearthed-Morocco-crossed-oceans-there.html
- https://novataxa.blogspot.com/2020/11/ajnabia.html
- https://www.sci.news/paleontology/ajnabia-odysseus-09023.html
- https://www.tumblr.com/a-dinosaur-a-day/710658402569846784/ajnabia-vs-tlatolophus
- https://blog.everythingdinosaur.com/blog/_archives/2020/11/07/the-first-hadrosaurid-dinosaur-from-africa.html