Eoraptor: A Primitive Dinosauriform from the Triassic

Gnathovorax is a primitive dinosauriform from the Late Triassic of Brazil, measuring approximately 1 meters in length. Its name means "greedy jaw," reflecting its ecological role as a small predator. Gnathovorax fossils are exceptionally well-preserved, including complete skulls and partial skeletons, providing key insights into archosaur evolution prior to the origin of dinosaurs. Although Gnathovorax lies outside the dinosaur crown group, it already possessed many dinosaurian traits, such as an upright limb posture and bipedal locomotion. Its discovery helped define the time window for dinosaur origins during the Carnian to Norian stages of the Triassic.