Overview
- Tainrakuasuchus bellator is identified as a pseudosuchian carnivore about 2.4 meters long and roughly 60 kilograms, predating the first dinosaurs.
- The partial skeleton, found in May 2025 in Dona Francisca, preserves parts of the lower jaw, vertebrae and pelvis, with lab work revealing armor-like osteoderms.
- Authors infer a hunting style built on speed and precision, with a long neck and slender jaws bearing sharp, recurved teeth to seize prey.
- Phylogenetic analysis indicates a close relationship to Tanzania’s Mandasuchus, supporting faunal links between South America and Africa during the Triassic.
- Limbs were not recovered so locomotion remains uncertain, though researchers suggest a quadrupedal stance, and the study appears in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology.