Silesaurus

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Extinct genus of reptiles

title: "Silesaurus" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["silesauridae", "reptile-genera", "carnian-reptiles", "fossil-taxa-described-in-2003", "reptiles-of-europe"] description: "Extinct genus of reptiles" topic_path: "general/silesauridae" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silesaurus" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Extinct genus of reptiles ::

| name = Silesaurus | display_parents = 3 | taxon = Silesaurus | authority = Dzik, 2003 | fossil_range = Late Triassic, | image = Silesaurus szkielet.JPG | image_caption = Reconstructed skeleton | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision =

  • S. opolensis Dzik, 2003 (type)

Silesaurus is a genus of silesaurid dinosauriform from the Late Triassic, of what is now Poland.

Discovery and naming

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/Silesaurus_opolensis_holotype.jpg" caption="Holotype ZPAL Ab III/361, [[Museum of Evolution of Polish Academy of Sciences"] ::

The Krasiejów claypit near Opole, Poland, was first discovered as a fossil locality in the 1980s after quarrying for a nearby cement plant reached the fossil layer, though scientific excavations began in 1993 with the discovery of an almost complete phytosaur skull by Polish paleontologist Jerzy Dzik. Preliminary investigations identified Krasiejów as a diverse vertebrate assemblage, named the "Paleorhinus fauna", preserving partially articulated skeletons of amphibians and reptiles, including possible early dinosaurs from the middle to late Carnian. Following these preliminary reports, extensive excavations of Krasiejów were undertaken from 2000 to 2002, collecting numerous skulls, partially articulated skeletons, and isolated remains. An area with dense skeletons was left intact to construct a museum exhibit of the University of Opole around, allowing viewing of the preparation and excavations of material. From the upper of the fossil layers, nearly 400 bones of a single taxon originally identified as an early dinosaur were collected, including four partially articulated skeletons of individuals. One of these, ZPAL Ab III/361, including a partial skull and most of the skeleton, was chosen by Dzik to be the holotype of the new taxon he named Silesaurus opolensis. While some specimens had at first been thought to have belonged to a herrerasaurid or relative, Dzik revised his classification believing Silesaurus to be close to the origins of dinosaurs, either as an early ornithischian, an early member close to Ornithischia and Sauropodomorpha, or a closely related non-dinosaur showing similar adaptations for herbivory.

Description

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Silesaurus_opolensis.jpg" caption="Life restoration with protofeathers and a human for scale"] ::

Silesaurus measured approximately 2.3 m in length. Lightly built, it was probably a fast and agile animal with an active lifestyle. The snout was narrow with forward-pointing nostrils, and the large orbits likely provided Silesaurus with acute vision.

Initially, Silesaurus was thought to be strictly herbivorous, but later research on coprolite contents indicates that it may have been insectivorous, feeding on insects such as the beetle Triamyxa. The teeth of the animal were small, conical, and serrated, and were distributed irregularly in its jaws. The tip of the dentary had no teeth, and evidence suggests that it was covered by a keratinous beak.

Classification

One hypothesis argues that Silesaurus was not a true dinosaur, but rather a dinosauriform. Dinosaurian features lacking in Silesaurus include an enlarged deltopectoral crest (a muscle attachment on the humerus), and epipophyses (enlarged tendon attachment above the postzygapophysis) on the cervical vertebrae.

However, Silesaurus has some dinosaurian characteristics as well:

As a result, alternative hypotheses place Silesaurus at or near the base of the ornithischian dinosaurs. Other scientists propose a basal link between the basal sauropodomorphs and ornithischians. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Silesaurus_fossil.jpg" caption="Referred specimen ZPAL Ab III/364"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/Silesaurus_TD.png" caption="Life restoration with scales"] ::

Systematic position after Nesbitt (2011):

|label1=Ornithodira |1={{clade |label1=Pterosauromorpha |1={{clade |1=Scleromochlus |2=Pterosauria}} |label2=Dinosauromorpha |2={{clade |label1=Lagerpetonidae |1={{Clade |1=Lagerpeton |2=Dromomeron |label2=Dinosauriformes |2={{clade |1=Marasuchus |2={{Clade |label1=Silesauridae |1={{clade |1=Lewisuchus/Pseudolagosuchus |2={{clade |1=Asilisaurus |2={{clade |1=Eucoelophysis |2={{clade |1=Sacisaurus |2=Silesaurus |label2=Dinosauria |2={{clade |label1=Saurischia |1={{clade |1=Theropoda |2=Sauropodomorpha}} |2=Ornithischia

Palaeobiology

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/Possible_Silesaurus_coprolites.jpg" caption="[[Coprolites]] assigned to ''Silesaurus'' which contain [[beetle]] remains"] ::

Diet

Herbivory has been suggested for silesaurids in general and Silesaurus in particular based on tooth shape, and a 2014 study by the paleontologists Tai Kubo and Mugino O. Kubo of microwear on its teeth found it consistent with herbivory on soft objects, by comparing with wear on the teeth of extant mammals, though omnivory could not be ruled out.

A 2019 study by paleontologist Martin Qvarnström and colleagues examining coprolites (fossil dung) that contained beetles attributed them to Silesaurus based on size and other factors. These researchers suggested that while Silesaurus could exploit plant resources, it was not strictly a plant-eater. They pointed out that the teeth of Silesaurus were not numerous or regularly spaced, and lacked the coarse serrations typical in herbivores. They hypothesized that the beak-like jaws were adapted for pecking small insects off the ground like modern birds. They cautioned that there could have been other food sources that were not preserved in the coprolites, such as soft prey, plant fragments, and larger, more resistant items that were regurgitated, and that beetles could have been a seasonal food item. If so, this would represent the earliest known occurrence of this highly derived mode of feeding and have implications for the understanding of the evolutionary adaptations that would eventually lead up to the origin of dinosaurs.

Locomotion

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/MEPAN_silezaur_rauizuch.jpg" caption="A diorama at the [[Museum of Evolution of Polish Academy of Sciences]], showing ''Silesaurus'' in a bipedal stance, running away from ''[[Polonosuchus]]''"] ::

Silesaurus and silesaurids in general are often considered quadrupeds, walking on all four legs thanks to their long, gracile forelimbs. There is debate over whether they were capable of bipedalism (walking on only the hindlimbs) in some circumstances.

In 2010, the paleontologists Rafał Piechowski and Jerzy Dzik considered such lengthy forelimbs typical of fast-running, quadrupedal animals. They also argued that Silesaurus retained the ability for fast bipedal running, since the forelimbs were lightweight and the long tail may have acted as a counterweight to the body. Conversely, Kubo & Kubo (2012) estimated that Silesaurus had a low top speed, akin to large Triassic sauropodomorphs, based on its relatively short . They also identified it as the most quadrupedal avemetatarsalian in their sample, based on its long forelimbs.

Piechowski and the paleontologist Mateusz Tałanda concluded in 2020 that the short hindlimbs combined with the elongated forelimbs supported the idea that it was an obligate (permanent) quadruped. The forelimbs had reduced musculature but were capable of a sturdy erect posture with the hands fully pronated (palm down, fingers forwards). They were similar to the forelimbs of early sauropods, though with greater relative stride length due to a longer and . The hindlimbs have a narrow gait, a pillar-erect hip joint similar to "rauisuchians", and strong, efficient muscles which may have been adapted to support its weight or flee from predators. Silesaurid trackmakers may be a good fit for Atreipus footprints.

Grinham et al. (2019) estimated that Silesaurus was a facultative (occasional) biped based on its position on the archosaur family tree. Pintore et al. (2021) found that the femur shape of Silesaurus overlapped with fully bipedal archosaurs rather than with quadrupeds. The same analysis classified Asilisaurus as a quadruped. The authors acknowledged that their study does not differentiate facultative from obligate bipeds, and that a larger set of anatomical factors may be necessary to understand its preferred method of locomotion.

Palaeoenvironment

Silesaurus lived in a subtropical environment similar to the modern Mediterranean basin with alternating summer monsoons and dry winters. The animal shared its environment of extensive swamplands and fern vegetation with a wealth of invertebrates as well as dipnoan and ganoid fishes, temnospondyls, phytosaurs and early pterosaurs.

References

References

  1. (2019). "Beetle-bearing coprolites possibly reveal the diet of a Late Triassic dinosauriform". Royal Society Open Science.
  2. Nesbitt, Sterling J.. (2011). "The Early Evolution of Archosaurs: Relationships and the Origin of Major Clades". [[Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History]].
  3. (2013). "Dental microwear of a Late Triassic dinosauriform, Silesaurus opolensis". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica.
  4. (2019). "Beetle-bearing coprolites possibly reveal the diet of a Late Triassic dinosauriform". Royal Society Open Science.
  5. (2012-06-01). "Associated evolution of bipedality and cursoriality among Triassic archosaurs: a phylogenetically controlled evaluation". Paleobiology.
  6. Pintore, Romain. (2022). "Femoral specializations to locomotor habits in early archosauriforms". Journal of Anatomy.
  7. (2010). "The axial skeleton of Silesaurus opolensis". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
  8. (2020). "The locomotor musculature and posture of the early dinosauriform ''Silesaurus opolensis'' provides a new look into the evolution of Dinosauromorpha". Journal of Anatomy.
  9. Grinham, Luke R.. (2019). "Testing for a facultative locomotor mode in the acquisition of archosaur bipedality". Royal Society Open Science.
  10. John W. M. Jagt, Grzegorz Hebda, Sławomir Mitrus, Elena Jagt-Yazykova, Adam Bodzioch, Dorota Konietzko-Meier, Klaudia Kardynał, Kamil Gruntmejer. 2015. Field Guide, Conference Paper, European Association of Vertebrate Palaeontologists XIII Annual Meeting.
  11. (2000). "Późnotriasowe cmentarzysko kręgowców lądowych w Krasiejowie na Śląsku Opolskim". Przegląd Geologiczny.
  12. Dzik, J.. (2001). "A new ''Paleorhinus'' fauna in the Early Late Triassic of Poland". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
  13. Dzik, J.. (2003). "A beaked herbivorous archosaur with dinosaur affinities from the early Late Triassic of Poland". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
  14. (2007). "A review of the early Late Triassic Krasiejów biota from Silesia, Poland". Palaeontologia Polonica.

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silesauridaereptile-generacarnian-reptilesfossil-taxa-described-in-2003reptiles-of-europe