In Depth
Classed as a silesaurid (relative of Silesaurus), Kwanasaurus is a herbivorous dinosauromorph that lived in North America during the late Triassic. Dinosauromorphs include the ancestors of the dinosaurs, but the appearance of Kwanasaurus in the late Triassic when true dinosaurs were already roaming around suggests that Kwanasaurus, and other silesaurids were evolutionary off shoots from this base group. Kwanasaurus is one of the northern most known silesaurids.
Kwanasaurus is known for having a skull that at the time of its description is deeper and more robust (strongly formed) than other silesaurids. Some of the teeth in the jaw were rounded but most are more leaf-shaped and strongly attached to the tooth bearing bones. These features all point to Kwanasaurus being well adapted for eating the tougher plants of the Triassic, that were possibly too much for lighter built plant eaters to deal with.
Kwanasaurus is based upon the Ute word ‘kwana’ which means ‘eagle’. This is in reference to the town of Eagle in Colorado which is close by to where the fossils of Kwanasaurus were found.
Further Reading
- Non-dinosaurian dinosauromorphs from the Chinle Formation (Upper Triassic) of the Eagle Basin, northern Colorado: Dromomeron romeri (Lagerpetidae) and a new taxon, Kwanasaurus williamparkeri (Silesauridae). - PeerJ 7:e7551:1-71. - J. W. Martz & B. J. Small - 2019.
