Shingopana (meaning "wide neck" in Swahili) is a genus of titanosaurian sauropod from the Upper Cretaceous (late Campanian-early Maastrichtian[2] age) Galula Formation of Tanzania. It is known from only the type species, S. songwensis.[3] Gorscak & O'Connor's phylogenetic testing suggest Shingopana is more closely related to the South American titanosaur family of Aeolosaurini than any of the titanosaurs found so far in North & South Africa.[3]
Part of the holotype, TZ-07, was discovered in 2002 by scientists affiliated with the Rukwa Rift Basin Project, which was run by Patrick O'Connor and Nancy Stevens.[3] The rest of the skeleton was excavated during the following years. The holotype was mentioned in 2011 when the sauropod Aeolosaurus maximus (now Arrudatitan maximus) was named and described,[4] and the species Shingopana songwensis was officially named in 2017.[3]
Shingopana was a quadrupedal Aeolosaurin sauropod that would have reached up to 8 metres (26 ft) long when fully grown, smaller than the average sauropod.[3]
Shingopana is known from a partial jaw, represented by the angular bone. Shingopana is also known from four cervical vertebrae; with two of these vertebrae having preserved cervical ribs and another isolated cervical rib. Shingopana instead had remnants of a bulbous expansion on the incompletely preserved cervical vertebrae, which probably helped to strengthen its neck.[3]
Four ribs have been preserved with the holotype, but none are complete. The ribs had flanged edges, but their function is currently unknown.[3]
Shingopana has been classified within the Aeolosaurini as early as 2011,[4] before the animal was given a name.[verification needed]