W B Dinosaurs are a gem from the past that everyone loves to bring back to life on the big screen. But do you know which are the oldest dinosaurs? Find out their names and how incredible they were in this video.
#10 Draw: 230 million years ago
230 million years ago, the Bagualosaurus inhabited the Late Triassic, specifically across Brazil. It measured approximately 8.2 feet long, and it was known to be an herbivore. The Chromogisaurus also existed during the same period and in the same South American territory, but in Argentina. This was a 6.7-foot-long herbivore that could walk on all four legs. The remains discovered consisted of a partial skeleton lacking the skull. However, it did have the front and hind limbs, as well as the pelvis and two caudal vertebrae. Thanks to these discoveries, it was possible to analyze how this historic dinosaur looked despite the millions of years that have passed. These two were truly impressive!
#9 Eoraptor
This funny-looking dinosaur is called Eoraptor and lived about 231 to 228 million years ago, that is, during the Late Triassic period. Its habitat was what you currently know as South America, specifically northwestern Argentina. Here’s where several of their skeletons are well-preserved; thanks to this, it was possible to prove this dinosaur was bipedal. But this isn’t about another giant carnivore like the Tyrannosaurus Rex whose fossils amazes everyone in museums. Actually, according to some studies, this dinosaur was omnivorous and measured 3.2 feet long, so it was like a small and quite ugly dog. Perhaps you could have had it as a pet, what do you think?
#8 Eodromaeus
Once again, Argentina is the place where you’ll find another of the oldest dinosaurs. In this case, it’s the Eodromaeus, which lived in the northwest of the country during the Late Triassic. Its existence dates to about 231 to 229 million years ago, so this dinosaur did spend a long time on Earth. This dinosaur was discovered in 1996 by Argentinean paleontologist Ricardo N. Martínez, and it was first believed that the fossils were a new species of Eoraptor. However, as the research went much further, it was found that the remains had features the Eoraptor lacked. Several studies consider it the Eve of all dinosaurs, referring to Adam and Eve, for its resemblance to a supposed common ancestor to all dinosaurs. But despite having that biblical reference, its size wasn’t that impressive since it only measured 6.8 feet long. However, this characteristic made it quite fast, it has been suggested it could run about 19 miles per hour, so you’d have had quite a challenge catching it.
#7 Panphagia
231 million years ago and during the Late Triassic, a dinosaur named Panphagia inhabited the prehistoric land in what is now known as South America, specifically across Argentina, of course! It had a highly similar appearance to the Eoraptor, which you saw earlier, at 4.3 feet long. However, its jaw was far more delicate, and according to the shape of its teeth, it appears that this dinosaur was omnivorous. Despite being one of the first dinosaurs, this species is known only from an individual where portions of the skull, a jaw with teeth, vertebrae, pectoral girdle, pelvic girdle, and parts of other limbs have been recovered. Without a doubt, you can learn a lot with just a few bones, no matter how many years pass. All this information came from a single fossil, pretty interesting and fascinating!
#6 Sanjuansaurus
Among the oldest dinosaurs that ever existed is the Sanjuansaurus, one of the unique species from the Triassic period that lived about 231.4 million years ago. That, certainly, was a long, long time ago, but this didn’t stop its remains from being discovered in South America, specifically in the Argentine province of San Juan. Those responsible for its discovery were Oscar Alcober and Ricardo N. Martínez, paleontologists from the National University of San Juan in Argentina. This species had a significant size and, based on the study of its fossils, it measured about 9.8 feet long, more than enough to terrify any human. Interestingly, during their lifetime, dinosaurs constituted only 6% of life on Earth, but by the end of the Triassic, dinosaurs had become the dominant animal group, and the Sanjuansaurus was one of them. So, this species saw its ecosystem change and witnessed the beginning of the age of dinosaurs.
#5 Draw: 233 million years ago
Nhandumirim is known thanks to a single skeleton from around 233 million years ago, found in Waldsanga in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It’s considered one of the oldest theropods. Moreover, it had several unique features compared to other early dinosaurs. For example, it had dorsal vertebrae with spool-shaped centra, which were 1.4 times longer than high, making them more elongated. During that same period, the Buriolestes also inhabited Brazil, specifically in the Santa Maria Formation of the Paraná Basin. Recent discoveries classify it among the Triassic dinosaurs with most complete fossils. This little friend was carnivorous and only 3.2 feet long.
#4 Draw: 233.23 million years ago
Stay tuned as now you’ll learn about 4 great fellas; I’ll start with the Staurikosaurus. During the Late Triassic period, 233.23 million years ago, this little dinosaur inhabited the land. Its remains were found in Brazil, specifically in Rio Grande do Sul, and it approximately was 7.5 feet long and 31 inches tall. During the same period, the Saturnalia tupiniquim, another Late Triassic extinct genus, lived at the Santa da Alemoa archaeological site in Brazil. This buddy was only 5 feet long, but I still wouldn’t go near them out of curiosity. Around those years, there also was the Pampadromaeus, a small bipedal dinosaur that inhabited Brazil during the same period and had 88 teeth in total. Hence why, despite its small size, its bite would have been quite painful. Finally, there was also the Gnathovorax, which was a carnivore discovered in Brazil. According to studies, it was 9.8 feet long. So, if you had lived during the same time, you sure wouldn’t have a chance to shake it off if it got too close.
#3 Chindesaurus
With this dinosaur, you’ll finally move to another continent. The Chindesaurus lived in the Late Triassic period, approximately 235 to 210 million years ago, in what is now North America. While this dinosaur wasn’t gigantic, it had a considerable size between 6.6 to 7.5 feet long, so a human would still have had trouble dealing with it. Besides, it was a carnivore, so with that size to its advantage, you might say it was dangerous. Its skeleton was discovered in the Petrified Forest National Park in the state of Arizona in 1984. Most recent remains of this species were discovered in 2006 and are currently in the Texas Memorial Museum in Austin, Texas. For many years, there was a debate regarding its classification until just recently, in 2019, it was considered a theropod related to the genus Tawa.
#2 Caseosaurus
The Caseosaurus lived in the Late Triassic period about 237 to 227 million years ago. This makes it one of the oldest dinosaurs ever, and it’s from North America, where it lived especially in Texas. It was named after the scientist Ermine Cowles Case, who discovered it. Compared to other more famous dinosaurs, the Caseosaurus wasn’t that surprising as it was a small dinosaur at only 6.5 feet long, weighing 110.2 pounds at most, and a ground-dwelling biped. If you wanna see it, there’s a 3D model available on the University of Michigan Online Repository of Fossils. Don’t miss it!
Time to solve the trivia. Which of these three dinosaurs had already disappeared before the Cretaceous mass extinction? The answer is C. Velociraptor. The most recent remains of this dinosaur date from 71 million years ago. In other words, 5 million years before the mass extinction.
It’s time, let’s go back 166 million years to meet the oldest dinosaur of all.
#1 Herrerasaurus
One of the first dinosaurs to appear was the Herrerasaurus, which inhabited the Late Triassic, 237 to 231.4 million years ago. This dinosaur was fully bipedal and measured about 19.6 feet long. Its remains were found in northwestern Argentina and, it even was first believed to be an example of Carnosaur, which was a long debate for over 30 years. But a later 1994 study by Argentinian paleontologist Fernando Novas classified it as a new species. Comparisons between this dinosaur and modern birds, along with other reptiles, suggest this animal may have been cathemeral. This means it had sporadic activities both during the day and night to get food.
BONUS: Nyasasaurus
One of the first dinosaurs to appear was the Herrerasaurus, which inhabited the Late Triassic, 237 to 231.4 million years ago. This dinosaur was fully bipedal and measured about 19.6 feet long. Its remains were found in northwestern Argentina and, it even was first believed to be an example of Carnosaur, which was a long debate for over 30 years. But a later 1994 study by Argentinian paleontologist Fernando Novas classified it as a new species. Comparisons between this dinosaur and modern birds, along with other reptiles, suggest this animal may have been cathemeral. This means it had sporadic activities both during the day and night to get food.
Well, this Jurassic journey is over, and boy did I take you back many years. Tell me, which dinosaur did you find the most interesting? Don’t forget to comment and share!
