Silesaurus

Sy-el-sore-us.
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Maeve Foster

Paleoclimatologist

Maeve Foster explores the Earth's climatic past to understand the forces that shaped life on our planet. Her research into ancient climate events provides valuable context for current environmental challenges.

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Name

Silesaurus ‭(‬Silesia lizard‭)‬.

Phonetic

Sy-el-sore-us.

Named By

Jerzy Dzik‭ ‬-‭ ‬2003.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Dinosauromorpha,‭ ‬Dinosauriformes,‭ ‬Silesauridae.

Diet

Herbivore.

Species

S.‭ ‬opolensis‭

Size

About‭ ‬2.3‭ ‬meters long.

Known locations

Poland.

Time Period

Carnian of the Triassic‭ ‬-‭ ‬Drawno Beds Formation.

Fossil representation

Multiple individuals.

In Depth

       As far as individuals go,‭ ‬Silesaurus is one of the most commonly found dinosauriforms in Europe and at the moment anywhere else for that matter.‭ ‬Silesaurus is not thought to be a true dinosaur,‭ ‬but it was a member of the group of archosaurs that were ancestral to them.‭ ‬Silesaurus was a fairly small herbivorous reptile that would have browsed upon low growing vegetation.‭ ‬Predators of Silesaurus may have included other primitive but meat eating dinosaurs,‭ ‬as well as large rauisuchians.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬A beaked herbivorous archosaur with dinosaur affinities from the early Late Triassic of Poland,‭ ‬Jerzy Dzik‭ ‬-‭ ‬2003.

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