Asilisaurus

ancestor lizard (foundation lizard)

• asili · Swahili · foundation, ancestor, origin
• sauros · Greek · lizard

The name combines the Swahili word "asili", meaning "foundation" or "ancestor", with the Greek "sauros", meaning "lizard". It was chosen because Asilisaurus is an early member of the silesaurid lineage, close to the origin of dinosaurs. The type species, A. kongwe, has a Swahili species name meaning "ancient".

Named by

Nesbitt et al.

Year named

2010

Period

Middle Triassic

Stage

Anisian

Found in

Manda Formation, Ruhuhu Basin, Tanzania

Asilisaurus is a silesaurid, a non-dinosaurian dinosauriform. It is a close relative of dinosaurs, not a true dinosaur. It is important because it shows that the dinosaur lineage had already split from its relatives by the Middle Triassic.