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Silesaurid
Silesauridae is an extinct family of Triassic dinosauriforms. It is most commonly considered to be a clade of non-dinosaur dinosauriforms, and the sister group of dinosaurs. Some studies have instead suggested that most or all silesaurids comprised an early diverging clade or a paraphyletic grade within ornithischian dinosaurs. Silesaurids have a consistent general body plan, with a fairly long neck and legs and possibly quadrupedal habits, but most silesaurids are heavily fragmentary nonetheless. Furthermore, they occupied a variety of ecological niches, with early silesaurids (such as '' Lewisuchus'') being carnivorous and later taxa (such as ''Kwanasaurus'') having adaptations for specialized herbivory. As indicated by the contents of referred coprolites, ''Silesaurus'' may have been insectivorous, feeding selectively on small beetles and other arthropods. Classification Silesauridae is typically considered the sister group to Dinosauria. The group was named in 2010 by Max ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Diodorus Scytobrachion
''Diodorus'' is a genus of Silesauridae, silesaurid dinosauromorph (member of a clade that includes the dinosaurs) that lived during the Late Triassic in what is now Morocco. Fossils were discovered in the Timezgadiouine Formation of the Argana Basin, and were used to name the new genus and species ''Diodorus scytobrachion''. The genus name honors the mythological king Diodorus (king), Diodorus and the ancient historian Diodorus Siculus; the Specific name (zoology), specific name is ancient Greek for and also honors the mythographer Dionysius Scytobrachion. The holotype specimen is a partial dentary bone , and assigned specimens include isolated teeth, two humeri , a metatarsal , and femur . ''Diodorus'' is estimated to have been up to long, and features thought to be shared by most silesaurs include a beak-like front of the lower jaw, leaf-shaped teeth, long limbs, and a quadrupedal posture. ''Diodorus'' differs from other silesaurids in having forward-tilted teeth that decre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kwanasaurus
''Kwanasaurus'' is an extinct genus of Silesauridae, silesaurid Dinosauromorpha, dinosauromorph reptiles from the Late Triassic of Colorado. It is known from a single species, ''Kwanasaurus williamparkeri''. ''Kwanasaurus'' had a deeper, stronger skull and greater specialization for herbivory compared to other silesaurids. It also possessed many unique characteristics of the snout, Ilium (bone), ilium, and lower part of the femur. It was described along with new specimens of ''Dromomeron'' from the Eagle Basin, the northernmost extent of the Chinle Formation. Discovery ''Kwanasaurus'' hails from Triassic deposits in the Eagle Basin surrounding the town of Eagle, Colorado. This area contains the most northern exposures of the Chinle Formation, which is famous for its Late Triassic fossils of dinosaurs and other reptiles. Tentative terrestrial reptile biostratigraphy estimates that the Eagle Basin fossils, which were preserved in red siltstone, belong to the Revueltian biozone of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Asilisaurus
''Asilisaurus'' ( ); from Swahili, ''asili'' ("ancestor" or "foundation"), and Greek, (, "lizard") is an extinct genus of silesaurid archosaur. The type species is ''Asilisaurus kongwe''. ''Asilisaurus'' fossils were uncovered in the Manda Beds of Tanzania, a formation typically dated to the Anisian; however, some authors controversially assert that the formation may be early Carnian instead. If it truly is Anisian, ''Asilisaurus'' would be one of the oldest known members of the Avemetatarsalia (animals on the dinosaur/pterosaur side of the archosaurian family tree). It was the first non-dinosaurian dinosauriform recovered from Africa. The discovery of ''Asilisaurus'' has provided evidence for a rapid diversification of avemetatarsalians during the Middle Triassic, with the diversification of archosaurs during this time previously only documented in pseudosuchians ( crocodylian-line archosaurs). ''Asilisaurus'' is known from a relatively large amount of fossils compared to mos ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dinosauriformes
Dinosauromorpha is a clade of avemetatarsalians (archosaurs closer to birds than to crocodilians) that includes the Dinosauria (dinosaurs) and some of their close relatives. It was originally defined to include dinosauriforms and lagerpetids, with later formulations specifically excluding pterosaurs from the group. Birds are the only dinosauromorphs which survive to the present day. Classification The name "Dinosauromorpha" was briefly coined by Michael J. Benton in 1985. It was considered an alternative name for the group "Ornithosuchia", which was named by Jacques Gauthier to correspond to archosaurs closer to dinosaurs than to crocodilians. Although "Ornithosuchia" was later recognized as a misnomer (since ornithosuchids are now considered closer to crocodilians than to dinosaurs), it was still a more popular term than Dinosauromorpha in the 1980s. The group encompassed by Gauthier's "Ornithosuchia" and Benton's "Dinosauromorpha" is now given the name Avemetatarsalia. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gondwanax
''Gondwanax'' (meaning "lord of Gondwana") is an extinct genus of silesaurid dinosauriform from the Triassic Pinheiros-Chiniquá Sequence of Brazil. The genus contains a single species, ''G. paraisensis'', known from a partial skeleton. ''Gondwanax'' represents one of the oldest known dinosauromorphs, and, alongside the roughly coeval ''Gamatavus'', one of the oldest South American silesaurs. While the possession of two sacral vertebrae characterizes more basal "silesaurid" taxa, ''Gondwanax'' has three—the oldest occurrence of this trait in the fossil record. Discovery and naming The ''Gondwanax'' fossil material was discovered in 2014 by physician and paleontology enthusiast Pedro L. P. Aurelio at the "Linha Várzea 2" ("Becker") site, belonging to the Pinheiros-Chiniquá Sequence of the Santa Maria Supersequence (Formation) in Paraíso do Sul municipality of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. These layers are representative of the ''Dinodontosaurus'' Assemblage Zone. He subse ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pisanosaurus
''Pisanosaurus'' ( ) is an extinct genus of early dinosauriform, likely an ornithischian or silesaurid, from the Late Triassic of Argentina. It was a small, lightly built, ground-dwelling herbivore, that could grow up to an estimated long. Only one species, the type, ''Pisanosaurus mertii'', is known, based on a single partial skeleton discovered in the Ischigualasto Formation of the Ischigualasto-Villa Unión Basin in northwestern Argentina. This part of the formation has been dated to the late Carnian, approximately 229 million years ago. Discovery and naming ''Pisanosaurus'' is known from a single fragmented skeleton discovered in 1962 by Galileo Juan Scaglia at the Hoyada del Cerro Las Lajas locality (also known as Agua de Las Catas) in the Ischigualasto Formation of La Rioja Province, Argentina. The genus is based on a specimen given the designation PVL 2577, which consists of a partial skull including a fragmentary right maxilla with teeth, and incomplete right ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lutungutali
''Lutungutali'' (meaning "high hip" in the Bemba language) is an extinct genus of silesaurid dinosauriform from the Middle Triassic of Zambia. The single type species of the genus is ''Lutungutali sitwensis''. ''Lutungutali'' was named in 2013 and described from a fossil specimen, holotype NHCC LB32, including hip bones and tail vertebrae. The specimen was collected in 2009 from the upper Ntawere Formation, which dates to the Anisian stage of the Middle Triassic. ''Lutungutali'' is the first known silesaurid from Zambia and, along with the Tanzanian silesaurid '' Asilisaurus'' and dinosauriform ''Nyasasaurus'', the oldest bird-line archosaur known from body fossils (i.e. parts of the skeleton). Description ''Lutungutali'' is known from parts of its pelvis and from four caudal vertebrae that make up the base of the tail. These bones represent one individual, although bones that may belong to ''Lutungutali'' representing eight other individuals were collected from the same fossi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gamatavus
''Gamatavus'' (meaning "Picada do Gama great-grandfather") is a genus of silesaurid dinosauriform from the Middle Triassic Santa Maria Formation of Dilermando de Aguiar Municipality, Brazil. The genus contains a single species, ''G. antiquus'', known from a partial ilium. ''Gamatavus'' represents one of the oldest silesaurids known from South America, alongside the roughly coeval '' Gondwanax''. Discovery and naming The ''Gamatavus'' holotype specimen, UFSM 11348a, was discovered in the ''Dinodontosaurus'' Assemblage Zone of the Santa Maria Formation (‘Picada do Gama’ site), dated to the Ladinian–early Carnian stages of the Middle Triassic. It consists of a partial right ilium. A partial left femur and four incomplete vertebrae were found in association with the holotype, but they were not assigned to ''Gamatavus''. In 2022, Pretto et al. described ''Gamatavus antiquus'' as a new genus and species of silesaurid based on these remains. The generic name, "''Gamatav ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Soumyasaurus
''Soumyasaurus'' is a small silesaurid dinosauriform from the Late Triassic (Norian) Cooper Canyon Formation of western Texas. Etymology ''Soumyasaurus'' is named in honor of Sankar Chatterjee's oldest son, Soumya (likewise, the shuvosaurid pseudosuchian '' Shuvosaurus'' was named for another of Chatterjee's sons, Shuvo). The specific epithet ''aenigmaticus'' derives from the Latin word ''aenigma'', meaning "enigma or riddle", referring to the poor preservation of the fossil. Description The only known element of ''Soumyasaurus'' is a small (less than 3 cm long), poorly preserved left dentary, missing its anterior end and containing some teeth with an estimated tooth count of at least 15. ''Soumyasaurus'' is mostly characterised by its teeth, which are fused to the jaw bone by a rim fibrous bone at their bases (ankylothecodont), a characteristic trait of silesaurids. Unlike the typically leaf-shaped teeth of other silesaurids, the teeth of ''Soumyasaurus'' are smooth a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amanasaurus
''Amanasaurus'' (meaning "rain lizard") is a genus of silesaurid dinosauriforms from the Late Triassic Santa Maria Supersequence of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The genus contains a single species, ''A. nesbitti'', known from two partial femora. Discovery and naming The ''Amanasaurus'' holotype specimen, CAPPA/UFSM 0374, was discovered in the ''Hyperodapedon'' Assemblage Zone of the Santa Maria Supersequence (Candelária Sequence) of the Paraná Basin, dated to the late Carnian stage of the Late Triassic. It consists of a proximal right femur. CAPPA/UFSM 0375, a distal left femur belonging to a larger individual from the same locality, was also referred to ''Amanasaurus''. In 2023, Müller & Garcia announced ''Amanasaurus nesbitti'' as a new genus and species of silesaurid based on these remains. The Genus#Use, generic name, "''Amanasaurus''", combines the Tupi language, Tupi word "amana", meaning "rain", with the Greek language, Greek "saurus", meaning "lizard", in reference ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Itaguyra
''Itaguyra'' (meaning "stone bird") is an extinct genus of dinosauromorphs allied with taxa traditionally regarded as "silesaurids" (possibly the earliest ornithischian dinosaurs). It is known from the Late Triassic (Carnian age) Santa Cruz Sequence of the Santa Maria Supersequence of Brazil. The genus contains a single species, ''Itaguyra occulta'', known from two isolated pelvic bones. Discovery and naming The ''Itaguyra'' fossil material, two partial pelvic bones, was found in the 'Schoenstatt Sanctuary fossil site', representing outcrops of the '' Santacruzodon'' Assemblage Zone of the Santa Cruz Sequence of the Santa Maria Supersequence in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The bones were found and collected mixed with the remains of cynodont therapsids. In a 2024 publication, Battista et al. reported this specimen as a new indeterminate archosauriform. In 2025, Paes Neto and colleagues recognized the "silesaurid" affinities of the specimens and described them as a belonging t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ignotosaurus
''Ignotosaurus'' is an extinct genus of silesaurid dinosauriform known from the Late Triassic (Carnian) Cancha de Bochas Member of the Ischigualasto Formation in the Ischigualasto-Villa Unión Basin in northwestern Argentina.Martínez et al., 2013 It was therefore contemporary with early dinosaurs such as ''Herrerasaurus,'' and lived in the same place. Etymology The name, meaning 'unknown lizard' from the Latin 'ignotus' 'unknown' and the Greek '' 'lizard', is quite apt as there is only one specimen known and this specimen is only known from the right ilium. This ilium is approximately long, but it is difficult to say accurately how large ''Ignotosaurus'' was. Description The ilium is slender, and its blade has an extremely thin central portion (only thick), hence the specific name 'fragilis'. It has the saddle-shaped lateral profile of most silesaurids, and is longer than it is deep. The acetabulum has a back wall created by a ventral flange and this closes a socket ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
