In Depth
Kongonaphon is a genus of ornithodiran archosaur that lived in Madagascar during the Triassic. As far as Triassic archosaurs go Kongonaphon was tiny, and in itself the holotype specimen is a rare example of such a small creature. Kongonaphon also had small conical teeth, which combines with the small overall body size, suggests that Kongonaphon was most like a hunter of insects. This is reflected in the genus name Kongonaphon which roughly translates as ‘bug slayer’.
Further Reading
- A tiny ornithodiran archosaur from the Triassic of Madagascar and the role of miniaturization in dinosaur and pterosaur ancestry. - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - Christian F. Kammerer, Sterling J. Nesbitt, John J. Flynn, Lovasoa Ranivoharimanana & Andr� R. Wyss - 2020.