What is Nyasasaurus?
Q: What is Nyasasaurus?
A: Nyasasaurus is an extinct genus of Archosaur reptile.
Q: From where was Nyasasaurus discovered?
A: Nyasasaurus was discovered from the Middle Triassic Manda Beds of Tanzania.
Q: What is the significance of Nyasasaurus?
A: Nyasasaurus may be the earliest known dinosaur, and its discovery shows that the initial dinosaur radiation occurred over a longer timescale than previously thought.
Q: When were the bones of Nyasasaurus collected?
A: The bones of Nyasasaurus were collected in the early 1930s.
Q: What are the characteristics of Nyasasaurus that indicate it might be a dinosaur?
A: Nyasasaurus possesses a unique combination of dinosaur character states and an elevated growth rate similar to that of definitive early dinosaurs. The humerus also has a muscle attachment which is characteristic of dinosaurs (a long 'deltopectoral crest').
Q: What is the age of the deposit from which Nyasasaurus was found?
A: The deposit from which Nyasasaurus was found dates back to the Middle Triassic Anisian stage.
Q: How old is Nyasasaurus compared to other early dinosaurs?
A: Nyasasaurus predates other early dinosaurs by about 15 million years, as it comes from a deposit that is 15 million years older than the oldest record of dinosaurs from Argentina.
