Efraasia

Efraasia was once thought to be a small dinosaur only 2 to 3 metres long, but scientists later realized those fossils were from juveniles. Adults grew to about 6.5 metres.1

Its fossils were first mistaken for three different dinosaur species: Teratosaurus minor, Sellosaurus fraasi, and Paleosaurus diagnosticus. In 2003, scientists combined them into one species: Efraasia minor.1

Efraasia had long fingers and a flexible thumb, which it may have used to grasp food. Its wrists were shaped so it could walk on all fours easily.1

The first Efraasia fossils were discovered by a stonemason named Albert Burrer in a quarry near Pfaffenhofen, Germany, between 1906 and 1914.1

Efraasia is a basal sauropodomorph, meaning it is an early relative of the giant long-necked sauropods like Brachiosaurus and Diplodocus.1

Some scientists think Efraasia was an obligate biped, meaning it could only walk on two legs, because its lower arm could not rotate to point its hands downward.1