Saturnalia (dinosaur) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Saturnalia (dinosaur) |
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Saturnalia
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tupiniquim
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Saturnalia was a type of dinosaur that is now extinct. It lived during the Triassic period in what is now Rio Grande do Sul, a part of southern Brazil. Scientists believe it lived about 225 million years ago. This dinosaur was quite small, growing to about 1.5 meters (5 feet) long.
What Was Saturnalia?
Saturnalia is a very old type of dinosaur. It had a mix of features from two main groups of dinosaurs: sauropodomorphs and theropods. Sauropodomorphs were often large, plant-eating dinosaurs, while theropods were usually meat-eating dinosaurs that walked on two legs. Because Saturnalia had features from both, it has been tricky for scientists to figure out exactly where it fits in the dinosaur family tree.
Saturnalia's Place in History
When Saturnalia was first described in 1999, scientists thought it was an early sauropodomorph. However, later studies looked closer at its skull and hands. These parts seemed more like theropods. This made some scientists think that Saturnalia might be a very early relative of both sauropodomorphs and theropods, rather than a true member of the sauropodomorph group itself.
Another scientist, José Bonaparte, studied Saturnalia and another dinosaur called Guaibasaurus. He found them to be very similar. He even put them in the same family, called Guaibasauridae. Like other researchers, Bonaparte thought these dinosaurs might be very early forms, close to the common ancestor of both sauropodomorphs and theropods. He even suggested they looked more like theropods than prosauropods (an early type of sauropodomorph).
However, most recent studies using a method called cladistic analysis have placed Saturnalia as a very early sauropodomorph. This means it's considered one of the first dinosaurs in the group that later included giant long-necked dinosaurs like Brontosaurus. Scientists are still learning more about these ancient creatures!
Images for kids
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Life restoration
See also
In Spanish: Saturnalia tupiniquim para niños
