Unranked clade
Valid Extinct

Sulcimentisauria

Martz and Small 2019

Silesauridae is an extinct family of early dinosauriforms which lived during the Triassic Period. Their fossils have been found in Europe, North America, South America, and Africa, reaching peak diversity early in the Late Triassic. The exact affinities of silesaurids are debated, and various studies come to different conclusions regarding the relationship between silesaurids and early dinosaurs.

Temporal range
Triassic
Jurassic
Cretaceous
Paleogene
Neogene
252 201 145 66 0 Ma
PBDB occurrences
16
Group
Dinosaures
Herbivore Ground dwelling, gregarious Terrestrial
Sulcimentisauria
click to enlarge
Wikimedia
PBDB ↗ Wikipedia ↗
Classification
Dinosauria Unranked clade
›
Ornithischia Unranked clade
›
Parapredentata Unranked clade
›
Silesauridae Unranked clade
›
Sulcimentisauria Unranked clade
Fossil sites 16 geolocated sites
Distribution
Top countries
🇺🇸 United States
10
🇵🇱 Poland
3
🇿🇲 Zambia
1
🇲🇦 Morocco
1
🇧🇷 Brazil
1
Geological formations
Chinle
8
Drawno Beds
2
Ntawere
1
Popo Agie
1
Grabowa
1
Timezgadiouine
1
Caturrita
1
Cooper Canyon
1
Temporal distribution
Rhaetian (205.7–201.4 Ma)
1
Norian (227.3–205.7 Ma)
12
Carnian (237–227.3 Ma)
2
Ladinian (241.464–237 Ma)
1
Images 1
Bibliography
Original description
J. W. Martz and B. J. Small. 2019. 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 DOI ↗
Bibliography (10)
D. M. Lovelace, A. M. Kufner, and A. J. Fitch, K. Curry Rogers, M. Schmitz, D. M. Schwartz, A. LeClair-Diaz, L. StClair, J. Mann, R. Teran. 2025. Rethinking dinosaur origins: oldest known equatorial dinosaur-bearing assemblage (mid-late Carnian Popo Agie FM, Wyoming, USA). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 203:zlae153 DOI ↗
J. W. Martz and B. J. Small. 2019. 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 DOI ↗
B. R. Peecook, C. A. Sidor, and S. J. Nesbitt, R. M. H. Smith, J. S. Steyer, K. D. Angielczyk. 2013. A new silesaurid from the upper Ntawere Formation of Zambia (Middle Triassic) demonstrates the rapid diversification of Silesauridae (Avemetatarsalia, Dinosauriformes). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 33(5):1127-1137 DOI ↗
C. F. Kammerer, S. J. Nesbitt, and N. H. Shubin. 2012. The first basal dinosauriform (Silesauridae) from the Late Triassic of Morocco. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 57(2):277-284 DOI ↗
L. F. Rinehart, S. G. Lucas, and A. B. Heckert, J. A. Spielmann, M. D. Celeskey. 2009. The paleobiology of Coelophysis bauri (Cope) from the Upper Triassic (Apachean) Whitaker quarry, New Mexico, with detailed analysis of a single quarry block. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 45:1-260
J. Ferigolo and M. C. Langer. 2007. A Late Triassic dinosauriform from south Brazil and the origin of the ornithischian predentary bone. Historical Biology 19(1):23-33 DOI ↗
T. Sulej and F. Majer. 2005. The temnospondyl amphibian Cyclotosaurus from the Upper Triassic of Poland. Palaeontology 48(1):157-170 DOI ↗
J. Dzik. 2003. A beaked herbivorous archosaur with dinosaur affinities from the early Late Triassic of Poland. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 23(3):556-574 DOI ↗
R. M. Sullivan and S. G. Lucas. 1999. Eucoelophysis baldwini, a new theropod dinosaur from the Upper Triassic of New Mexico, and the status of the original types of Coelophysis. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 19(1):81-90 DOI ↗
S. Chatterjee. 1984. A new ornithischian dinosaur from the Triassic of North America. Naturwissenschaften 71:630-631 DOI ↗