Kongonaphon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kongonaphon |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Ornithodira |
| Clade: | †Pterosauromorpha |
| Family: | †Lagerpetidae |
| Genus: | †Kongonaphon Kammerer et al., 2020 |
| Type species | |
| †Kongonaphon kely Kammerer et al., 2020
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Kongonaphon was a very small, ancient reptile that lived a long, long time ago, during the Middle to Late Triassic period. Its fossil was discovered in Madagascar. This tiny creature is special because it's an early relative of both dinosaurs and pterosaurs (flying reptiles). Scientists believe it probably ate insects, based on the shape of its teeth.
Meet Kongonaphon: A Tiny Ancient Reptile
Kongonaphon is part of a group called Ornithodira. This group includes the ancestors of all dinosaurs and pterosaurs. Finding Kongonaphon helps scientists understand how these amazing animals first appeared.
What Did Kongonaphon Look Like?
This ancient reptile was incredibly small. Imagine an animal only about 10 centimeters (about 4 inches) tall! That's roughly the size of a small action figure or a soda can. Its femur (the main thigh bone) was only about 4 centimeters (1.6 inches) long. This makes Kongonaphon one of the smallest early relatives of dinosaurs ever found.
Why Was Kongonaphon So Small?
Scientists have long thought that the very first members of the dinosaur and pterosaur family were small. Kongonaphon's tiny size supports this idea. It suggests that a "miniaturization event" happened. This means that over time, the ancestors of these large groups became smaller and smaller before they started to grow bigger again.
This small size might also explain why dinosaurs and birds developed body coverings like hair or feathers. Tiny creatures lose body heat very quickly. Having a covering, like hair or feathers, helps them stay warm and control their body temperature.
