Gamatavus

Gamatavus is the oldest silesaurid dinosaur ever found in South America, living about 240 million years ago.1

Its name means 'Gama great-grandfather' because it was found at the Picada do Gama site and is an ancient relative of later dinosaurs.1

Scientists only found a partial hip bone, a leg bone, and a few backbone pieces, so they had to guess its size and shape.12

Gamatavus lived alongside large mammal-like reptiles like Dinodontosaurus and Massetognathus.1

It belonged to a group called silesaurids, which were early dinosaur relatives that often had beaks and ate plants.1