Nhandumirim Temporal range: Carnian
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Skeletal diagram of Nhandumirim, as an early sauropodomorph, following all the subsequent studies after its original description | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Clade: | Dinosauria |
Clade: | Saurischia |
Clade: | †Sauropodomorpha |
Family: | †Saturnaliidae |
Genus: | †Nhandumirim Marsola et al. 2019 |
Species: | †N. waldsangae
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Binomial name | |
†Nhandumirim waldsangae Marsola et al. 2019
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Nhandumirim (meaning "small rhea" in the Tupi language) is a genus of basal sauropodomorph dinosaur from the Carnian age of Late Triassic Brazil. It is currently considered a saturnaliid sauropodomorph. The type and only species, Nhandumirim waldsangae, is known from a single immature specimen including vertebrae, a chevron, pelvic material, and a hindlimb found in the Santa Maria Formation in Rio Grande do Sul.
Nhandumirim is differentiated from other Santa Maria dinosaurs such as Staurikosaurus and Saturnalia on the basis of its more gracile, long-legged proportions and several more specific skeletal features. However, it is noteworthy that the holotype of Nhandumirim is an immature individual.
Several features of the tibia led the describers of the genus and species to consider Nhandumirim waldsangae possibly the earliest theropod, but some analyses in their study offer alternative positions within Saurischia.[1] All subsequent studies considered Nhandumirim an early sauropodomorph, closely-associated with Saturnalia and Chromogisaurus.[2][3][4][5][6]