- Scientists discovered a new ancient reptile species in the United States from the Late Triassic period
- The species, Sonselasuchus cedrus, belonged to the shuvosaurid group and was about 25 inches tall
- Fossils were found in Arizona's Petrified Forest National Park, with around 950 specimens uncovered since 2014
Scientists have discovered a new ancient reptile species that once lived in what is now the United States. The creature existed between 225 and 201 million years ago, during a time when some ancestors of modern crocodiles were able to walk on two legs, reported Newsweek. The discovery was shared by paleontologists from the University of Washington and the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture in Seattle.
Researchers reported that this newly identified species belongs to a group of reptiles called shuvosaurid. Fossils of this creature were found in Arizona's Petrified Forest National Park, a region renowned for its large deposits of fossilized wood.
These reptiles existed during the Late Triassic period. Members of the shuvosaurid group closely resembled the ostrich-like ornithomimid dinosaurs of that time.
New And Unique Species
This newly discovered reptile species has been named Sonselasuchus cedrus. According to scientists, it was approximately the size of a poodle dog and stood about 25 inches tall.
Study author Elliot Armor-Smith, a researcher at the University of Washington, explained that this species appears to be quite unique. Scientists believe these creatures began life walking on four legs, but evolved to walk on two legs as they grew older.
Fossils Explain Evolution
Since 2014, researchers have uncovered approximately 950 Sonselasuchus fossils from Petrified Forest National Park. After studying the proportions of limb bones, scientists concluded that this reptile's bipedalism may be linked to its body's evolution.
Armor-Smith explained that at a young age, these creatures had approximately equal front and hind legs. But as they grew older, their hind legs grew longer and stronger, enabling them to walk on two legs.
Unique Body Structure
Researchers believe this reptile had several distinctive physical characteristics: a toothless beak, large eye sockets, and hollow bones.
Armour-Smith explained that although these features appear similar to those of ornithomimid dinosaurs, they may have evolved differently. He suggested that such similarities may have developed because crocodilian and bird-like archosaurs lived in similar ecosystems and evolved over time to fulfill similar ecological roles.
He also noted that features such as bipedalism, toothless beaks, hollow bones, and large eye sockets are typically associated with ornithomimid dinosaurs. However, the discovery of shuvosaurids like Songeasuchus indicates that these traits also evolved in the crocodilian lineage.
