Scientists discover 200-million-year-old bipedal reptile species Sonselasuchus cedrus in USA

Key facts

• Paleontologists from the University of Washington (UW) and the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture have identified a new ancient reptile species named Sonselasuchus cedrus.
• The species belongs to the shuvosaurid group and existed during the Late Triassic period, approximately 225 to 201 million years ago.
• Fossils of the reptile were discovered in the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona, United States (US), with nearly 950 specimens recovered since 2014.
• Sonselasuchus cedrus stood approximately 25 inches tall and featured a toothless beak, large eye sockets, and hollow bones.
• The creature exhibited bipedalism, transitioning from walking on four legs to two legs as its hind legs grew longer and stronger with age.
• The discovery indicates that traits such as bipedalism and toothless beaks, typically associated with ornithomimid dinosaurs, also evolved independently within the crocodilian lineage.