Aardonyx

dinosaur · sauropodomorph · South Africa · missing link

Bridge between sizes. Aardonyx had arm features that were halfway between smaller basal sauropodomorphs and the giant sauropods that came later, making it a perfect example of how dinosaurs evolved over time.

South African fossil. This dinosaur was discovered in the Early Jurassic Elliot Formation in South Africa, where scientists have found many important dinosaur fossils.

Named after a fossil expert. Aardonyx celestae was named in honor of Celeste Yates, who carefully prepared and studied much of the first fossil material found from this species.

Early Jurassic times. Aardonyx lived during the Early Jurassic period, when dinosaurs were still experimenting with different body shapes and sizes.