Panphagia protos

Panphagia protos - one of the earliest sauropodomorphs

Temporal range: Late Triassic, Carnian, Around ~231 Ma

Length: Around ~1-1.5 metres
Probable mass: ~1-2 kilograms?

Etymology: The first all-eater


Panphagia is a genus of early sauropodomorph dinosaur described in 2009. It lived in what is now northwestern Argentina. It is one of the earliest known dinosaurs, and is an important find which may mark the transition of diet in early sauropodomorph dinosaurs.

It is inferred to be omnivorous based on it's teeth, which look like transitional forms between theropods and sauropodomorphs.

The bones were found at approximately the same level as a ~231.4 million year old ash layer.

Panphagia is currently known from holotype specimen PVSJ 874, the disarticulated remains of a partially grown individual about ~1.3 metres long. Portions of the skull, vertebrae, pectoral girdle, pelvic girdle, and hindlimb bones have been recovered.

The russet-coloured fossils were embedded in a greenish sandstone matrix and took several years to prepare and describe.
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Based on 's Panphagia