Buriolestes

Buriolestes (meaning "Buriol's robber") is a genus of early sauropodomorph dinosaurs from the Late Triassic of Brazil. It contains one species, B. schultzi, named in 2016. The type specimen was found alongside a specimen of the lagerpetid dinosauromorph Ixalerpeton.

Description
Although Buriolestes superficially resembles the predatory theropod dinosaurs, with jaws lined by finely serrated and slightly curved teeth well-adapted to a carnivorous diet, it in fact is an early member of the otherwise-herbivorous Sauropodomorpha, the group that gave rise to the giant sauropods. Characteristically sauropodomorph traits seen in Buriolestes include a downturned jaw tip and a long deltopectoral crest on the humerus. However, Buriolestes also lacks a small head and enlarged nostrils, which are typical among sauropodomorphs, and the medial condyle on the end of its tibia projects backwards, a distinctive feature (autapomorphy) unique to this animal.[1]

In Buriolestes, the shaft of the pubis is straight, in contrast to later sauropodomorphs, where it has been modified into an expanded "apron", theropods, where it forms a "boot", and all ornithischians, where it is reversed and is parallel to the ischium. Additional traits differentiate Buriolestes from both later and contemporary sauropodomorphs: the front expansion (preacetabular ala) of the ilium is relatively tall, the outer edges of the pubis are bevelled, the trochanter of the femur forms a shelf, and the metatarsal of the fifth digit on the foot is relatively long.

Discovery and naming
The holotype specimen, ULBRA-PVT280, was discovered in the Buriol ravine in São João do Polêsine, Brazil. These rocks are part of the Santa Maria Formation, which dates to the Carnian epoch. The specimen consists of a single skeleton preserving parts of the skull, vertebrae, left forelimb, and left hindlimb. Another set of smaller bones is also present, which may belong to a juvenile or a different taxon altogether. Two individuals of Ixalerpeton were also preserved close by.[1]

In 2016, the specimen was named Buriolestes after the Buriol family; the suffix -lestes is Greek for "robber". The specific name honours palaeontologist Cezar Schultz.