Seitaad is a type of dinosaur that lived a long time ago, during the Early Jurassic period, which was around 183 million to 174 million years ago.
These dinosaurs were found in what we now call southern Utah in the United States.
The name “Seitaad” comes from the Navajo word for a mythological sand monster that would bury its victims in the sand. It seems this dinosaur was also buried by a sand dune, which helped preserve its remains for scientists to find.
The official name for this dinosaur is Seitaad ruessi. The last name honors Everett Ruess, a young explorer and artist who disappeared in 1934 while wandering in the same area.
Fossils of Seitaad were discovered in the Navajo Sandstone, a layer of rock that formed in sandy conditions long ago. The remains include parts of the body but are missing the head, neck, and tail.
Scientists classify Seitaad as part of a larger group of dinosaurs called sauropodomorphs, which are known for their long necks and large size.
More specifically, Seitaad is related to other dinosaurs in a family called Massospondylidae. However, its exact family connection is still a bit unclear.
Seitaad is significant because it is one of the early sauropodomorph dinosaurs identified in North America, helping researchers learn more about how dinosaurs evolved and spread across the continent.