Buriolestes schultzi

† Buriolestes schultzi was a small, early sauropodomorph dinosaur from the Late Triassic of southern Brazil, known from the Santa Maria Formation. Among the earliest-diverging members of the sauropodomorph lineage, it possessed a lightly built, bipedal body and relatively sharp, recurved teeth suggesting an omnivorous or carnivorous diet — contrasting with the herbivorous habits of later giant relatives. It offers crucial insight into sauropodomorph origins.

Time Period

Triassic Late Mesozoic Era

Buriolestes schultzi 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.