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Ecologically distinct dinosaurian sister group shows early diversification of Ornithodira

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  • Sterling J. Nesbitt

    (Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, New York 10964, USA
    American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York 10024, USA
    Present address: Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas 78712, USA.)

  • Christian A. Sidor

    (University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA)

  • Randall B. Irmis

    (Utah Museum of Natural History, 1390 E. Presidents Circle Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-0050, USA
    University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-0102, USA)

  • Kenneth D. Angielczyk

    (The Field Museum, 1400 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60605, USA)

  • Roger M. H. Smith

    (Karoo Palaeontology, Iziko: South African Museum)

  • Linda A. Tsuji

    (Museum für Naturkunde an der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstrasse 43, D-10115 Berlin, Germany)

Abstract

An early herbivorous silesaur The discovery of an almost complete skeleton of a new genus and species of silesaur, a close relative of the dinosaurs, ties up some of the loose ends in the fossil record of Middle Triassic reptiles. The new find is among the earliest known members of the Ornithodira, the avian line that also includes the dinosaurs and pterosaurs, dating to not long after the split between the two major archosaur groups — the ornithodirans, and crocodiles. Dentition and other features suggest silesaurs were not two-legged carnivores, as might have been expected, but larger and herbivorous. But the real interest is the early date, showing that we still know very little about the earliest stages of dinosaur and pterosaur evolution.

Suggested Citation

  • Sterling J. Nesbitt & Christian A. Sidor & Randall B. Irmis & Kenneth D. Angielczyk & Roger M. H. Smith & Linda A. Tsuji, 2010. "Ecologically distinct dinosaurian sister group shows early diversification of Ornithodira," Nature, Nature, vol. 464(7285), pages 95-98, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:464:y:2010:i:7285:d:10.1038_nature08718
    DOI: 10.1038/nature08718
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