Smok
Name: Smok
(Dragon).
Phonetic: Smock.
Named By: Grzegorz Niedźwiedzki, Tomasz Sulej
& Jerzy Dzik - 2011.
Classification: Chordata, Reptilia, Archosauria.
Species: S. wawelski (type).
Diet: Carnivore.
Size: Estimated 5 to 6 meters long body,
50-60 centimetre long skull.
Known locations: Poland, Lisowice.
Time period: Late Norian to Early Rhaetian of the
Triassic.
Fossil representation: Partial skull and post
cranial remains, foot prints have been attributed to it although they
are not confirmed without doubt.
Named
after the Polish word for dragon, the full name Smok
wawelski is
actually in reference to a dragon that was said to live in a cave near
the fossil site. Since the remains were first dug up in 2007, and
first described in 2008, Smok has been referred
to as a saurischian
dinosaur, a rauisuchian,
and even an ornithosuchid crurotarsan.
The exact classification remains difficult however because Smok
displays features that are seen in all three groups which is why Smok
is classed only as an archosaur.
Fossilised
track ways that show foot prints that might belong to Smok
were also
found one metre above the original material. While these foot prints
show a three toed footprint like you might expect, the feet of Smok
are still unknown so it is impossible to say for certain if these
tracks really do belong to Smok.
Smok
is so far the largest known carnivorous archosaur from Europe. In
fact with a length estimated between five and six meters, Smok
is
even bigger than the more well-known Postosuchus
from North America.
It’s probable that Smok would have been an apex
predator with the
power to take down any prey item it could catch.
Further reading
A large predatory archosaur from the Late Triassic of Poland - Acta
Palaeontologica Polonica 57 (2): 251–256 - Grzegorz Niedźwiedzki,
Tomasz Sulej & Jerzy Dzik - 2011.
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