Scientists have unveiled a new species of archosaur, a reptile that existed around the dawn of the dinosaurs. The armored creature sported both crocodilian and dinosaur-like features, and roamed the planet more than 235 to 240 million years ago during the Triassic Period.
“We think [the creature lived] just before dinosaurs appear on the planet,” says Sterling Nesbitt, a paleobiologist at Virginia Tech and lead author on the new study.
What Are Archosaurs?
Archosaurs are a diverse group of creatures that can be traced all the way back to the Middle Triassic Period, which started roughly 246 million years ago. The group is divided roughly into two major branches: One of them evolved to include all living birds, non-bird dinosaurs and pterosaurs, while the other includes crocodilians.
