The oldest dinosaur? A Middle Triassic dinosauriform from Tanzania.

Abstract in brief

• Nyasasaurus parringtoni, described from Tanzania, is considered either the earliest known dinosaur or closely related to them, suggesting that dinosaurs began diversifying earlier than previously believed, around 15 million years earlier.
• This species exhibits a mix of dinosaur-like features and a rapid growth rate, indicating it shares characteristics with early true dinosaurs and their close relatives.
• The discovery from Africa supports the idea that dinosaurs originated in the southern part of the ancient supercontinent Pangaea, within a broader Middle Triassic evolutionary context involving archosauriforms.