description Asilisaurus ngoru Overview
Asilisaurus kongwe was a small dinosauriform archosaur from the Middle Triassic Manda Beds of Tanzania, dating to roughly 243 million years ago. It belonged to Silesauridae, a group closely related to dinosaurs, but is not generally classified as a true dinosaur. Its age and anatomy show that close dinosaur relatives were already diverse before the major expansion of dinosaurs later in the Triassic; the listed name "Asilisaurus ngoru" does not match the recognized species name.
help Asilisaurus ngoru FAQ
Was Asilisaurus an actual dinosaur?
Asilisaurus is not generally classified as a true dinosaur, but rather as a dinosauriform archosaur. It belonged to a group called Silesauridae, which represents a close sister lineage to the very first dinosaurs.
How old is the Asilisaurus fossil?
Fossils of Asilisaurus were discovered in the Manda Beds of Tanzania and date back to the Middle Triassic, roughly 243 million years ago. This makes it older than the oldest known true dinosaurs.
What does the discovery of Asilisaurus tell us about dinosaur origins?
The discovery proved that the dinosaur lineage and its closest relatives began diversifying much earlier than previously thought. It pushed back the timeline for major reptile evolution by nearly 10 million years.
What did Asilisaurus eat?
Unlike the earliest predatory dinosaurs, Asilisaurus possessed leaf-shaped teeth that suggest an omnivorous or herbivorous diet. This indicates that early dinosaur relatives were already experimenting with different types of diets.
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