Garzapelta fossil map
Where fossils of Garzapelta have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 215 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 215 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Crocodile relatives |
|---|---|
| Lived | 227.3–205.7 million years ago (Norian) |
| Periods | Triassic |
| Family | Stagonolepididae |
| Named by | Reyes et al. 2024 |
| Fossil records | 1 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States |
| Rock formations | Cooper Canyon |
About Garzapelta
Garzapelta is an extinct genus of aetosaur from the Late Triassic Cooper Canyon Formation containing a single species, G. muelleri. Garzapelta is known primarily from an associated collection of osteoderms, although some other bones such as ribs are also known. The anatomy of Garzapelta's armour displays a mix of features otherwise seen in Rioarribasuchus chamaensis, a member of the Paratypothoracini, and taxa of the subfamily Desmatosuchinae. This mix of characters is so distinct that phylogenetic analysis yielded different results based on what parts of the osteoderms were used, suggesting that the current dataset does not account for convergent evolution in osteoderm anatomy. Reyes, Martz and Small suggest that Garzapelta was likely a paratypothoracin that simply evolved lateral osteoderms similar to those of desmatosuchins, reasoning that its armour does not articulate in the way seen in members of the latter group.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Garzapelta (revision 1320003130), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q124299623.
