Kongonaphon, ancestors of dinosaurs, lived 237 million years ago

Here's why Kongonaphon is making headlines:

So this Kongonaphon is not a new phone I hope? I am not buying one.
Actually it is called Kongonaphon kely.


What is?
The creature we are about to discuss.

It is a creature? That is better than a phone.
They are saying it could make a good pet.

Oh is it? That means one could buy a Kongonaphon after all?
No, my dear. It was a dinosaur. In fact, possibly, it was the ancestor of many dinosaurs.

And who dreamt about having a dinosaur as a pet?
Scientists say these were really small creatures. About 40cm long and 10cm tall. They lived 237 million years ago. A fossil was found in Madagascar in 1998.

That was some time back.
Yes, the scientists say that these bones were part of a larger collection of bones of different kinds of reptiles, and it took them a while to get to the Kongonaphon bones.

So what is the recent finding?
The naming has happened now. Also, the finding that they could really be the ancestors of dinosaurs. In many ways, they do look like a T-Rex. They had small front limbs and possibly walked on the two hind limbs. Now guess how they got their name.

No, I won’t. Just tell me.
Okay, here you go. In Malagasy, the national language of Madagascar, kongona means bug. The Greek suffix phon, means a slayer. And kely in Malagasy means tiny. So that makes it the Tiny Bug Slayer.