The scientific study on the new Egyptian dinosaur was published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology “JVP”, referring to the discovered remains of the dinosaur’s body, as well as a number of vertebrae, limbs, pelvic bones and shoulder blades.
The Egyptian paleontologist, co-author of the scientific paper for the study, Hisham Salam, speaks to Sky News Arabia, saying:
- We engaged in the experiment 4 years ago with the international team that includes researchers from Germany and the United States, and we were hired due to our extensive experience in this field.
- We conducted an extensive study on the characteristics of the dinosaur, and we also participated in naming it, and we called it “Aegai Simkhu”, which is taken from the ancient Egyptian language and means “the forgotten lord of the oasis”.
- The founder of the Mansoura University Center for Vertebrate Fossils explains that the discovery is not recent, noting that German scientists took the first look at the dinosaur in 1977 and transferred it to the University of Berlin under the name of the German project for geological studies in the Egyptian Western Desert.
- Salam adds: “The excavations of the forgotten master of the oasis did not settle much at the University of Berlin, as they were transferred several times over the course of half a century to many German museums and universities until their journey stopped inside the Museum of Natural History in the German capital.”
Replica in Egypt
Salam confirms to “Sky News Arabia” his happiness at participating in documenting a new Egyptian dinosaur and presenting it to the scientific community, and “Egypt’s success in being strongly present in this important field,” noting that he had asked the international team to send a replica of “The Forgotten Master of the One” for display at the “Salam Lab” scientific center at Mansoura University.
Salam concludes: “The discoveries of Egyptian excavations will not stop. We are working hard to reach more and train new generations who love the field, and there is a major discovery that will be announced during the coming period.”
In early July, Salam received the international “Robert Lynn Carroll” award, which is awarded by the Vertebrate Paleontology Society, the world’s largest organization in vertebrate paleontology.
On the other hand, Bilal Salem, a teaching assistant at Benha University, one of the authors of the study, states that “through the careful research of the work team, it was revealed that it belonged to the (Saltasaurs) family, which belongs to the giant (titanosaurs), and its length ranges between 10 and 15 meters. It is slightly larger than the dinosaur (Mansaurus) and differs from it in some anatomical features of its body.”
He added, “It appeared to us that it differed in some anatomical characteristics, and that it was slightly larger than the dinosaurs in the time and spatial period in which it lived.”
And he continued: “I consider the discovery of the forgotten master of the oasis an important scientific achievement that greatly helps enrich our understanding of distant times, and how dinosaurs evolved during that period of the life of the planet, and at the same time constitutes an establishment of Egypt’s vital role in documenting and protecting the natural heritage.”
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