Meet Kwanasaurus, an early relative of dinosaurs - La Provincia
A small herbivorous reptile called Kwanasaurus williamparkeri, which existed in what is now Colorado more than 200 million years ago, has been documented as an early relative of dinosaurs.
"The findings are from the Triassic period, which is the beginning of the age of dinosaurs and a critical period in vertebrate evolution"said Jeffrey Martz, Professor of Natural Sciences at the University of Houston-Downtown and lead author of the research, which is published in Peer J.
The species was named using the Indian word Ute for 'eagle' and in homage to paleontologist William Parker of the Petrified Forest National Park. Their fossils were found in Eagle Basin near the cities of Eagle and Gypsum in northern Colorado, west of Denver.
According to Martz, the Kwanasaurus belongs to a group of animals called Silesaurids, which had perfect teeth to learn vegetation.
"Most of the first dinosaurs and relatives of dinosaurs they had proper teeth to eat meat"he said." These animals are interesting because they are a very early relative of dinosaurs with teeth used to consume plants. Their teeth are very similar to reptiles that eat plants today. , including iguanas. The discovery of these species suggests that their parallel evolution occurred in the Triassic period. Their teeth and jaws have similarities with dinosaurs that feed on plants. "
The largest individuals of Kwanasaurus, Martz said, they were about the size of a medium-sized and a half-meter-long dog, of which half was a long tail. In addition to its distinctive teeth, its jaws were particularly powerful for consuming plant fibers, and it also has a beak at the end of its snout.
"The material of this site is very fragile"said Martz. "Removing these bones from the rock is a delicate process, so the discovery of the Kwanasaurus has taken two decades."
