SauropodomorphaTitanosauriaSAM-7405

Malawisaurus dixeyi

Malawisaurus dixeyi skeletal reconstruction, left lateral view, specimen SAM-7405, reconstructed length ~10 m.
Scale bar = 1 meter
Taxon
Malawisaurus dixeyi (Haughton, 1928)
Specimen
SAM-7405
Reconstructed length
~9 m (30 feet)
View
Left lateral
Drawing
© Scott Hartman
Drawn
2014, revised 2022
Clade
  1. Sauropodomorpha
  2. Sauropoda
  3. Neosauropoda
  4. Macronaria
  5. Titanosauria

Available for editorial, museum & print licensing — inquiries & rates →

Malawisaurus was a Cretaceous titanosaur from (you guessed it) Malawi. At around 10 m (32 feet) long, it wasn’t a small animal, but was smaller than the average titanosaur. The type specimen (SAM-7405) preserved some of the dermal armor (osteoderms) that ran along its back and tail. While the exact placement of the armor is still debated, the arrangement proposed by Vidal, et al. is followed here in the armored version of the skeletal.

Speculative dermal armor of Malawisaurus dixeyi (SAM-7405).
Speculative arrangement of the dermal armor (osteoderms) known for Malawisaurus — a bonus reconstruction, not yet extended to other titanosaurs. Drawn 2014, revised 2022