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Wits Scientists Unearth Afrikaans Dinosaur in the Orange Free State

Bones of “Aardonyx Celestae” on Display at the Transvaal Museum

A NEW SPECIES OF dinosaur has been discovered in South Africa by a team of researchers from the University of Witwatersrand (above, colloquially known as “Wits”), and has been given an appropriately Afrikaans moniker. The new classification of Aardonyx Celestae is a combination of Afrikaans, Greek, and Latin meaning “Celeste’s Earth-claw”, after the female team member who first handled the speciment. The 23-foot long collection of fossils was found near Bethlehem in the Orange Free State, and, after the announcement before the gentlemen of the press, the bones are now displayed at the Transvaal Museum in the South African capital of Pretoria.

The specimen discovered is about 195 million years old, dating from the Early Jurassic Period (presuming one actually doubts Ussher’s chronology). Limb proportions lead the experts to believe that Aardonyx was a biped, although its forearm bones interlock (like those of quadrupeds) suggesting that it could occasionally walk on all-fours.

Unlike most Afrikaners, though, Aardonyx was a vegetarian, taking in huge mouthfuls of vegetation through its broad jaw.

Published at 5:24 pm on Wednesday 18 November 2009. Categories: South Africa Tags: , .
Comments

Heh. Little Bertie scooped you. He told me about this a few days ago…

I like the new look.

— Mrs. Peperium 18 Nov 2009 7:31 pm

Uh?

“Click here to support andrewcusack.com with a financial contribution. ”

Are you now a conglomerate?

— Mrs. Peperium 18 Nov 2009 7:32 pm

Little Bertie is going to rule the world.

The donate thingamy’s been there for months, Mrs. P!

— Andrew Cusack 18 Nov 2009 8:07 pm

Drat it. From your headline I thought you were reporting news of old line Afrikaners flourishing (if underground) somewhere at least in their own country. And where better than the Orange Free State?

— B T Van Nostrand 19 Nov 2009 8:28 am

Ah! The old alma mater!

This discovery has triggered a fun series of cartoons in
http://madamandeve.co.za/
Click on the Week of Cartoons tab.

— Tim Conroy 19 Nov 2009 8:38 am

Mr. Van Nostrand, my reaction was the same! I had an image of scientists peering through magnifying glasses at a glorious, flourishing, selfsufficient colony of goodly Dutch descendants.

I guess it says something about our times that “dinosaur” has become a term we associate not with t-rex but with beloved old codgers who uphold the best of the old world.

— Liz S. 19 Nov 2009 1:00 pm

Vegetarian Afrikaners do exist, but in my experience they tend to be poor specimens.

— James R 22 Nov 2009 9:43 pm
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