Ecologically distinct dinosaurian sister group shows early diversification of Ornithodira

Sterling J. Nesbitt (), Christian A. Sidor, Randall B. Irmis, Kenneth D. Angielczyk, Roger M. H. Smith and Linda A. Tsuji
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Sterling J. Nesbitt: Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, New York 10964, 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
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

Nature, 2010, vol. 464, issue 7285, 95-98

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.

Date: 2010
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DOI: 10.1038/nature08718

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