Anchisauria

†Anchisauria is a clade of early sauropodomorph dinosaurs from the Late Triassic, representing basal prosauropod lineages ancestral to true sauropods. These bipedal to semi-quadrupedal herbivores or omnivores ranged from small to medium-sized and are important for understanding the evolutionary transition to the giant quadrupedal sauropods of the Jurassic.

Time Period

Triassic Late Mesozoic Era

Anchisauria lived during the Triassic Late period of the Mesozoic Era, approximately 237.0 to 201.4 million years ago.

The first true dinosaurs appeared during the late Triassic, including early theropods like Eoraptor and Herrerasaurus. Dinosaurs were still small and not yet dominant. The period ended with the Triassic-Jurassic extinction event.