恐龍卡第 1297 張，共 2 027 張

Nyasasaurus

名字的意思： “Lake Nyasa lizard”1

吃：肉最早的恐龍三疊紀中期

Nyasasaurus might be the very first dinosaur that ever lived! It was a small, fast-growing reptile that walked on two legs in what is now Africa. Scientists are still not sure if it was a true dinosaur or a very close cousin.1 2

生存年代

247 到 241 百萬年前4

三疊紀中期

化石發現地

Tanzania, in the Manda Formation near Lake Nyasa1

長度

2 到 3 m (6.6 到 9.8 ft)1

體重

20 kg 到 60 kg (44 到 132 lb)3

高度

1 m (3.3 ft)3

最高速度

時速約 48 公里（30 英里）

跑步, 估計值

牠生活在什麼時候？

三疊紀

侏羅紀

白堊紀

2 億 5200 萬年前20114566，小行星撞地球

牠有多大？

牠有多長？

牠有多高？

牠有多重？

跟 3 隻狗一樣重

跟 3 隻狗從鼻子接到尾巴一樣長跟 17 根香蕉頭尾相接一樣長跟 12 顆西瓜一樣重跟 3 個幼兒園小朋友一樣重跟 2 個小學生一樣重能在 7.5 秒內跑完 100 公尺（最快的人類要 9.6 秒）

Nyasasaurus 跟「你」比起來有多大？

只是在你的瀏覽器裡算算數學。什麼都不會被儲存或傳送出去。

牠有多快？

走路的人 時速約 5 公里 (3 mph)

騎腳踏車的小朋友 時速約 12 公里 (7 mph)

Nyasasaurus 時速約 48 公里 (30 mph)

一匹飛奔的馬 時速約 65 公里 (40 mph)

一隻獵豹 時速約 100 公里 (62 mph)

酷東西

趣味知識

Nyasasaurus lived about 243 million years ago, which is 10 to 15 million years earlier than other known dinosaurs.1

Its bones show a fast growth rate, similar to early dinosaurs like Coelophysis, which suggests it was warm-blooded.1

The first fossils were found in the 1930s, but they were not officially named until 2013.1

The name was first used in 1967 but without a proper description, so it was considered a 'naked name' until 2013.1

Some scientists think Nyasasaurus might be the ancestor of all dinosaurs, but others think it was just a close relative.1 2

The fossils are so incomplete that scientists cannot even agree if it was a meat-eater or a plant-eater.1

Nyasasaurus 的 AI 繪圖 — 這是電腦根據科學家目前的知識，用 AI 畫出 Nyasasaurus 可能的樣子。這只是猜測：真正的動物可能長得不一樣，也沒有人知道牠真正的顏色。

你們都在問

關於 Nyasasaurus 最常被問的問題

?Is Nyasasaurus a dinosaur?

Scientists are not sure. It might be the earliest known dinosaur, or it might be a very close cousin called a dinosauriform.1 2

?How big was Nyasasaurus?

It was about 2 to 3 metres (6.6 to 9.8 feet) long, based on the partial skeleton of one individual.1

?When did Nyasasaurus live?

It lived about 243 million years ago, during the Middle Triassic period. That is 10 to 15 million years earlier than other known dinosaurs.1 2

?Where was Nyasasaurus found?

Its fossils were found in Tanzania, Africa, near Lake Nyasa. The first bones were collected in the 1930s.1

?What did Nyasasaurus eat?

Nobody knows for sure. The fossils are too incomplete to tell if it was a meat-eater or a plant-eater.1

?Did Nyasasaurus walk on two legs?

Yes, it walked on two legs. Its hip and leg bones show it was a bipedal reptile.1

?How fast did Nyasasaurus grow?

It grew quickly, like early dinosaurs. Its bones show a fast growth rate similar to Coelophysis, which suggests it was warm-blooded.1 2

?Why is Nyasasaurus famous?

It might be the very first dinosaur that ever lived. If so, it is the oldest known dinosaur, pushing back the origin of dinosaurs by millions of years.1 2

迷思破解王

迷思： Nyasasaurus is definitely the oldest dinosaur.

真相： Scientists are not sure. It might be a very early dinosaur or a close relative, and the age of its fossils is debated.1

給恐龍專家

學名: Nyasasaurus
命名者: Charig 19674
類群: 最早的恐龍
科 / 演化支: Dinosauria4
岩石的年代: 247 到 241 百萬年 ()4
岩層: Manda Beds4
國家: 坦尚尼亞4
化石紀錄: The Paleobiology Database 收錄 2 筆4
發現: The first fossils were collected in the 1930s by Francis Rex Parrington in Tanzania. Alan J. Charig described them in his 1956 thesis, but the official name Nyasasaurus parringtoni was published in 2013 by a team including Charig.1
仍有爭議: Scientists debate whether Nyasasaurus is a true dinosaur or a close cousin, and whether it really lived 243 million years ago or later.1