Shows a combination of characters unique among members of the lineage leading to dinosaurs, which share with the new species a similar tarsal structure (Lagerpeton) and an elongated pubis (Pseudolagosuchus). Diodorus scytobrachion Kammerer, Nesbitt, & Shubin, 2012 from the Timezgadiouine Formation of Morocco and Sacisaurus agudoensis Ferigolo & Langer, 2006 from the Caturrita Formation of south Brazil may appear conspecific. The poorly known and imprecisely dated Asilisaurus kongwe Nesbitt et al., 2010 from the Manda Formation of Tanzania may be also closely related.

Niekompletny szkielet ZPAL Ab?bbb

Diagnoza

Beak on the dentaries; small number of teeth (11-12 in both dentary and maxilla); 25 presacral vertebrae with 9-11 cervicals, and last two dorsals fused with the two sacrals that have deep sacral ribs;  elongate, gracile front limbs, and digit I of pes reduced to vestigial metatarsal that probably lacked phalanges.

Porównanie

Shows a combination of characters unique among members of the lineage leading to dinosaurs, which share with the new species a similar tarsal structure (Lagerpeton) and an elongated pubis (Pseudolagosuchus). Diodorus scytobrachion Kammerer, Nesbitt, & Shubin, 2012 from the Timezgadiouine Formation of Morocco and Sacisaurus agudoensis Ferigolo & Langer, 2006 from the Caturrita Formation of south Brazil may appear conspecific. The poorly known and imprecisely dated Asilisaurus kongwe Nesbitt et al., 2010 from the Manda Formation of Tanzania may be also closely related.

Autekologia

Omnivorous or herbivorous. Facultatively bipedal; delicate front limbs probably used to support the body at stance.

Występowanie geograficzne

Poland, probably Morocco and Brazil, possibly Tanzania.

Zasięg czasowy

Late Carnian (possibly also Early Norian) 

Materiały muzealne

Four more or less incomplete articulated skeletons. Isolated bones representing at least eight individuals (possibly more than twenty)

Literatura

Dzik, J. 2001. A new Paleorhinus fauna in the early Late Triassic of Poland. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 21, 625-627.

Dzik, J. 2003. A beaked herbivorous archosaur with dinosaur affinities from the early Late Triassic of Poland. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 23, 556-574.

Dzik, J. & Sulej, T. 2004. Pierwszy polski dinozaur. 80 pp, Śląskie Wydawnictwo ADAN, Opole. 

Dzik, J. & Sulej, T. 2007. A review of the early Late Triassic Krasiejów biota from Silesia, Poland. Palaeontologia Polonica 64, 1-27.

Ferigolo, J. & Langer, M.C. 2006. A Late Triassic dinosauriform from south Brazil and the origin of the ornitischian predentary bone. Historical Biology 19, 1–11.

Kammerer, C.F. Nesbitt, S.J., & Shubin, N.H. 2012. The first basal dinosauriform (Silesauridae) from the Late Triassic of Morocco. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, 57, 277-284.

Nesbitt, S.J., Sidor, C.A., Irmis, R.B., Angielczyk, K.D., Smith, R.M.H., & Tsuji, L.M.A. 2010. Ecologically distinct dinosaurian sister group shows early diversification of Ornithodira". Nature 464, 95–98.

Piechowski, R. & Dzik, J.  2010. The axial skeleton of Silesaurus opolensis. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 30, 1127-1141.