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221 / Mesozoic
Staurikosaurus
Staurikosaurus pricei
This lightly built two-meter hunter represents an early branch from the first dinosaur diversification.
- Time range
- About 233–231 million years ago
- Final stage
- Late Triassic
- Geographic range
- Seasonal river valleys · Southern Brazil
01 / DEFINITION & ECOLOGY
What was Staurikosaurus?
Staurikosaurus (Staurikosaurus pricei) was an extinct organism known from About 233–231 million years ago, with a range in Seasonal river valleys · Southern Brazil.
Life and ecology
Staurikosaurus ran on two legs, balanced by a long tail, and caught small vertebrates with curved teeth in a narrow jaw.
02 / DISAPPEARANCE
Why did Staurikosaurus disappear?
Late Triassic climate swings and faunal turnover removed many earliest dinosaur branches as later theropods expanded.
03 / EVIDENCE
How do scientists know about Staurikosaurus?
One incomplete but pivotal skeleton preserves jaw, vertebrae, pelvis and hind limbs sufficient to identify an early dinosaur.
04 / SOURCES & FURTHER READING
Check the source record
Use the scientific name to compare taxonomy, occurrence records and the fossil record. Database coverage and classifications may differ.
05 / REVISION HISTORY
How has this record changed?
- Verified authoritative entity sources and added three responsive reconstruction sizes.
- Initial bilingual species record published.
06 / CORRECTIONS & ADDITIONS