Nyasasaurus is a genus of Dinosaur that lived during the Middle Triassic period, approximately 243 million years ago. It is known from a single fossil specimen, which was discovered in the Manda Beds of Tanzania in 1953. The specimen was originally described as a partial skeleton of a small dinosaur, but it was not formally named until 2013.

Discovery: The discovery of Nyasasaurus is credited to the British paleontologist Rex Parrington, who led an expedition to Tanzania in 1933-1934. The specimen was collected from the Manda Beds, a formation that dates to the Middle Triassic period. The fossil consists of several bones, including a partial femur, tibia, humerus, and radius, as well as fragments of other bones. Parrington initially identified the fossil as belonging to a small dinosaur, but it was not until many years later that its significance was fully realized.

Re-evaluation: In 2013, Sterling Nesbitt and colleagues published a study that re-examined the Nyasasaurus fossil and concluded that it was the earliest known dinosaur. This conclusion was based on several features of the fossil, including the shape of the femur and the arrangement of muscle attachment points. According to Nesbitt et al., Nyasasaurus was a small, bipedal dinosaur that measured about 1.5 meters in length and weighed approximately 20 kilograms.

Further research: Since the initial description of Nyasasaurus, several studies have examined its relationships to other early dinosaurs and their closest relatives. Some researchers have suggested that Nyasasaurus was not a dinosaur at all, but rather a close relative or precursor to dinosaurs. Others have argued that Nyasasaurus represents an early branch of the dinosaur family tree, with features that are intermediate between those of dinosaurs and their closest relatives.

Despite these debates, Nyasasaurus remains an important fossil for understanding the early evolution of dinosaurs and their relatives. It provides a glimpse into a crucial period of dinosaur history, when these animals were just beginning to diversify and spread across the planet. As new discoveries are made and new techniques are developed for studying ancient fossils, we can expect to learn even more about Nyasasaurus and its place in the history of life on Earth.

Size comparison : As Nyasasaurus is known only from incomplete fossils, its size can only be estimated based on the size of its femur bone. The femur of Nyasasaurus is approximately 26 centimeters long, which suggests that the animal was about 2-3 meters long and weighed around 20-60 kilograms. However, this estimate is uncertain and subject to change as more fossils are discovered and studied. It is important to note that Nyasasaurus is not a dinosaur but a dinosauriform reptile, and its size and shape may have been different from those of true dinosaurs.