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Diodorus scytobrachion

Reptilia

Discussion

Diodorus scytobrachion is the only known species of Diodorus, a small-bodied (less than 1 meter body length) dinosauriform known from specimens from Morocco representing several individuals. Diodorus belongs to Silesauridae - a clade of highly dinosaur-like animals currently believed to be the closest relatives of true dinosaurs (the sister taxon to Dinosauria). Diodorus represents the first member of this group discovered in northern Africa, and supports a cosmopolitan distribution for silesaurids in the Middle-Late Triassic.

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Taxonomy
Diodorus scytobrachion was named by Kammerer et al. (2012). Its type specimen is MHNM-ARG 30, a mandible (Partial right dentary), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is 2.9 km east of Imziln, which is in a Carnian/Norian terrestrial horizon in the Timezgadiouine Formation of Morocco.

Synonymy list
YearName and author
2012Diodorus scytobrachion Kammerer et al.
2014Diodorus scytobrachion Marzola and Dalla Vecchia p. 13
2016Diodorus scytobrachion Martínez et al. p. 2
2019Diodorus scytobrachion Martz and Small p. 51

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
—Bilateria
—EubilateriaAx 1987
—Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
—Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
—Tetrapoda
—Reptiliomorpha
—Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
—Cotylosauria()
—Amniota
—Sauropsida
RankNameAuthor
classReptilia
subclassEureptilia()
—Romeriida
—Diapsida()
—Archosauromorpha(Huene 1946)
—Crocopoda
—ArchosauriformesGauthier 1986
—Eucrocopoda
—Archosauria()
informalAvemetatarsalia
—Ornithodira
—Dinosauromorpha
—Dinosauriformes
—Silesauridae
—Sulcimentisauria
genusDiodorus
speciesscytobrachion

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

†Diodorus scytobrachion Kammerer et al. 2012
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Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
C. F. Kammerer et al. 2012Small silesaurid with triangular, denticulated teeth, cingula absent, and a marked decrease in size anteriorly in the dentary. All teeth preserved in place in the dentary are anteriorly directed at an angle of ~20° from the root. Meckelian groove restricted to ventral edge of dentary but expands in dorsoventral height posteriorly, reaching 40% of dentary height by the fourth tooth position. Dentary ventrally bowed. Lateral ridge present near and trending parallel to alveolar margin of the dentary.
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: phosphaticsubp
Environment: terrestrialsubc
Locomotion: actively mobilec
Created: 2017-04-17 15:16:03
Modified: 2017-04-17 15:16:03
Source: subc = subclass, c = class, subp = subphylum
References: Hendy et al. 2009, Carroll 1988

Age range: base of the Carnian to the top of the Norian or 237.00000 to 208.50000 Ma

Collections: one only


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Carnian - Norian237.0 - 208.5Morocco (Marrakech-Safi) Diodorus scytobrachion (type locality: 118012)