Sacisaurus
Encyclopedia
Sacisaurus is a dinosauriform
from the Late Triassic (Carnian
to Norian
) Caturrita Formation
of southern Brazil
. The scientific name refers to the city where the Sacisaurus was found, Agudo
in the Rio Grande do Sul
state and to Saci
, a famous one-legged elf
from Brazilian mythology
, because the fossil
skeleton has been found missing a leg. It was discovered in the geopark
of Paleorrota
.
state, the biggest teeth of the genus were 3 millimeters (1/12 in) long.
The well-preserved jaw
indicates that Sacisaurus was an herbivore
, and there is a process at the tip that resembles the ornithischia
n predentary
bone. Further research will attempt to define if Sacisaurus was the oldest ornithischian dinosaur. Through the cladistic analysis
of some of its morphological
particularities, its closest relative may be Diodorus
.
, in the countryside of Rio Grande do Sul
state. Through 50 bones, scientists could assemble the skeleton and speculate on how it might have lived. The fossil was presented for the first time in the 2nd Latin American Congress of Vertebrate Paleonthology in 2005.
After the work of Brazilian scientists, the announcement of the discovery of the new species was made on November 1, 2006 at the University of São Paulo
, Ribeirão Preto
, where the bones were identified and the paper was published in the British scientific journal Historical Biology: A Journal of Paleobiology on October 30, 2006.
The discovery helped scientists to study the feeding habits of dinosaurs and their close relatives, since it is one of the oldest ever found.
Dinosauriformes
Dinosauriformes is a clade of archosaurian reptiles that include the dinosaurs and their most immediate relatives. All dinosauriformes are distinguished by several features, such as shortened forelimbs, and an at least partially perforated acetabulum, the hole in the hip socket traditionally used...
from the Late Triassic (Carnian
Carnian
The Carnian is the lowermost stage of the Upper Triassic series . It lasted from about 228.7 till 216.5 million years ago . The Carnian is preceded by the Ladinian and is followed by the Norian...
to Norian
Norian
The Norian is a division of the Triassic geological period. It has the rank of an age or stage . The Norian lasted from 216.5 ± 2.0 to 203.6 ± 1.5 million years ago. It was preceded by the Carnian and succeeded by the Rhaetian.-Stratigraphic definitions:The Norian was named after the Noric Alps in...
) Caturrita Formation
Caturrita Formation
The Caturrita Formation is a rock formation found in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Its sediments were deposited in the Paraná Basin. The formation has a late Carnian to early Norian age and forms part of the Santa Maria Supersequence in the upper section of the Rosário do Sul Group.-Etymology:The...
of southern Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. The scientific name refers to the city where the Sacisaurus was found, Agudo
Agudo, Rio Grande do Sul
Agudo is a municipality in Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state of Brazil. Its coordinates are 53º14'24" West and the elevation is 83 meters above sealevel...
in the Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...
state and to Saci
Saci (Brazilian folklore)
The Saci is considered the most popular character in Brazilian folklore. He is a one-legged black or mulatto youngster with holes in the palms of his hands, who smokes a pipe and wears a magical red cap that enables him to disappear and reappear wherever he wishes...
, a famous one-legged elf
Elf
An elf is a being of Germanic mythology. The elves were originally thought of as a race of divine beings endowed with magical powers, which they use both for the benefit and the injury of mankind...
from Brazilian mythology
Brazilian mythology
The term Brazilian mythology is used to describe a series of cultural elements of diverse origin that are found in Brazil, comprising folk tales, traditions, characters and beliefs regarding places, peoples and entities. It is a subset of the Brazilian folklore...
, because the fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
skeleton has been found missing a leg. It was discovered in the geopark
Geopark
A Geopark is defined by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in its UNESCO Geoparks International Network of Geoparks programme as follows:...
of Paleorrota
Paleorrota
Paleorrota , is a geopark located in the center of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The rocks and fossils found along the route date back to the times when there was only one supercontinent Pangaea....
.
Characteristics
Sacisaurus was 1.5 meters (5 ft) long and 70 centimeters (2.3 ft) high. Its long and strong legs indicate that it was a fast animal. According to Jorge Ferigolo, paleontologist of Zoobothanic Foundation of Rio Grande do SulRio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...
state, the biggest teeth of the genus were 3 millimeters (1/12 in) long.
The well-preserved jaw
Jaw
The jaw is any opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth, typically used for grasping and manipulating food. The term jaws is also broadly applied to the whole of the structures constituting the vault of the mouth and serving to open and close it and is part of the body plan of...
indicates that Sacisaurus was an herbivore
Herbivore
Herbivores are organisms that are anatomically and physiologically adapted to eat plant-based foods. Herbivory is a form of consumption in which an organism principally eats autotrophs such as plants, algae and photosynthesizing bacteria. More generally, organisms that feed on autotrophs in...
, and there is a process at the tip that resembles the ornithischia
Ornithischia
Ornithischia or Predentata is an extinct order of beaked, herbivorous dinosaurs. The name ornithischia is derived from the Greek ornitheos meaning 'of a bird' and ischion meaning 'hip joint'...
n predentary
Predentary
The predentary is an 'extra' bone in the front of the lower jaw, which extended the dentary . It is found in the fossilised remains of ornithischian dinosaurs, which were herbivorous. The predentary coincided with the premaxilla in the upper jaw. Together they formed a beak-like apparatus used to...
bone. Further research will attempt to define if Sacisaurus was the oldest ornithischian dinosaur. Through the cladistic analysis
Phylogenetics
In biology, phylogenetics is the study of evolutionary relatedness among groups of organisms , which is discovered through molecular sequencing data and morphological data matrices...
of some of its morphological
Morphology (biology)
In biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....
particularities, its closest relative may be Diodorus
Diodorus (genus)
Diodorus is a genus of silesaurid dinosauriform from the The Late Triassic Timezgadiouine Formation of the Argana Basin of Morocco...
.
History
Sacisaurus was discovered in 2001 in the small municipality of AgudoAgudo, Rio Grande do Sul
Agudo is a municipality in Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state of Brazil. Its coordinates are 53º14'24" West and the elevation is 83 meters above sealevel...
, in the countryside of Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...
state. Through 50 bones, scientists could assemble the skeleton and speculate on how it might have lived. The fossil was presented for the first time in the 2nd Latin American Congress of Vertebrate Paleonthology in 2005.
After the work of Brazilian scientists, the announcement of the discovery of the new species was made on November 1, 2006 at the University of São Paulo
University of São Paulo
Universidade de São Paulo is a public university in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. It is the largest Brazilian university and one of the country's most prestigious...
, Ribeirão Preto
Ribeirão Preto
Ribeirão Preto is a municipality and city in the Northeastern region of the state of São Paulo in Brazil. It is nicknamed Brazilian California, because of a combination of an economy based on agrobusiness plus high technology, wealth and sunny weather all year long. With 605,114 inhabitants,...
, where the bones were identified and the paper was published in the British scientific journal Historical Biology: A Journal of Paleobiology on October 30, 2006.
The discovery helped scientists to study the feeding habits of dinosaurs and their close relatives, since it is one of the oldest ever found.