A new fossil reptile species, Silescelida acristata, has been discovered in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Dating back approximately 240 million years, this fossil belonged to the archosauriformes, the reptile group that gave rise to dinosaurs and crocodiles. Part of the specimen had been lost for over twenty years before being accidentally rediscovered in 2022 in the collections of the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that this species may be related to Euparkeriidae, a rare group previously known only in Africa, Asia, and Europe. This discovery significantly expands the known geographic distribution of these reptiles during the Middle Triassic and reinforces the role of Rio Grande do Sul as a key region for the study of terrestrial vertebrate evolution.
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