Open Paleo

Saturnaliidae

Ezcurra, 2010 Type genus Saturnalia

Its genera lived 237.0–227.3 million years ago Late Triassic
Late Triassic stages

Saturnaliidae is a family of small, basal sauropodomorph dinosaurs from the Late Triassic, with fossils known from Brazil, Argentina, and possibly Zimbabwe. Its best-supported members are Saturnalia and Chromogisaurus, with Pampadromaeus and Panphagia added as close relatives when the group was elevated from subfamily to family rank; Nhandumirim has been recovered as a saturnaliin (Pacheco and colleagues, 2019), and Eoraptor and Buriolestes fall within a weakly supported, more inclusive Saturnaliidae in the analysis of Lovelace and colleagues (2025). The group is defined as the most inclusive sauropodomorph clade that contains Saturnalia but not Plateosaurus (Langer and colleagues, 2019). Although saturnaliids were once treated as a subgroup within Guaibasauridae (Ezcurra, 2010), Langer and colleagues (2019) recover Saturnaliidae as the sister group of Bagualosauria, with Buriolestes and Eoraptor branching earlier. These were lightly built, cursorial animals that retained slender proportions and partly serrated teeth suited to a mixed, still partly meat-eating diet.

Diagnosis

  1. Small body size with slender, cursorial hindlimb proportions
  2. Lanceolate, partly serrated teeth retaining a faunivorous component
  3. Elongate, lightly built cervical vertebrae
  4. Gracile, plesiomorphic manus and pes

Genera placed directly in Saturnaliidae

  • Chromogisaurus Ezcurra, 2010 Carnian (237.0–227.3 Ma)Argentina
  • Nhandumirim Marsola et al., 2018 Carnian (237.0–227.3 Ma)Brazilunder dispute
  • Pampadromaeus Cabreira et al., 2011 Carnian (237.0–227.3 Ma)Brazilunder dispute
  • Panphagia Martínez & Alcober, 2009 Carnian (237.0–227.3 Ma)Argentinaunder dispute
  • Saturnalia Langer et al., 1999 Carnian (237.0–227.3 Ma)Brazil

References

  1. Ezcurra, M. D. (2010). A new early dinosaur (Saurischia: Sauropodomorpha) from the Late Triassic of Argentina: a reassessment of dinosaur origin and phylogeny. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 8(3): 371-425. Informa UK Limited. doi:10.1080/14772019.2010.484650

    Described Chromogisaurus and named Saturnaliinae within Guaibasauridae, from which the family name takes its authorship by coordination.

    ezcurra2010a
  2. Pacheco, C.; Müller, R. T.; Langer, M.; Pretto, F. A.; Kerber, L.; Dias-da-Silva, S. (2019). Gnathovorax cabreirai: a new early dinosaur and the origin and initial radiation of predatory dinosaurs. PeerJ 7: e7963. PeerJ. doi:10.7717/peerj.7963

    Described Gnathovorax and recovered Nhandumirim as a saturnaliin.

    pacheco2019a
  3. Langer, M. C.; McPhee, B. W.; Marsola, J. C. de A.; Roberto-da-Silva, L.; Cabreira, S. F. (2019). Anatomy of the dinosaur Pampadromaeus barberenai (Saurischia—Sauropodomorpha) from the Late Triassic Santa Maria Formation of southern Brazil. PLoS ONE 14(2): e0212543. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0212543

    Redescribed Pampadromaeus, defined Saturnaliidae as the maximal clade containing Saturnalia but not Plateosaurus, and recovered it as sister to Bagualosauria.

    langer2019b
  4. Lovelace, D. M.; Kufner, A. M.; Fitch, A. J.; Curry Rogers, K.; Schmitz, M.; Schwartz, D. M.; LeClair-Diaz, A.; St.Clair, L.; Mann, J.; Teran, R. (2025). Rethinking dinosaur origins: oldest known equatorial dinosaur-bearing assemblage (mid-late Carnian Popo Agie FM, Wyoming, USA). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 203(1): zlae153. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae153

    Recovered a weakly supported, more inclusive Saturnaliidae containing Eoraptor and Buriolestes.

    lovelace2025a