**Alwalkeria: An Extinct Dinosaur from the Late Triassic**
Alwalkeria is an extinct type of dinosaur that lived during the Late Triassic period, around 228 million years ago. It is known from fossils found in the Lower Maleri Formation in India. The name Alwalkeria was created in 1994 by scientists Sankar Chatterjee and Ben Creisler to honor British paleontologist Alick Walker.
**Discovery and Name Change**
Originally, the dinosaur was named Walkeria in 1987. However, the name was later changed to Alwalkeria because the first name had already been used by another group of animals called bryozoans. The specific name maleriensis refers to the place where its fossils were found, which is the Lower Maleri Formation.
**Understanding Alwalkeria’s Body**
Scientists have not found a complete skeleton of Alwalkeria. The only known fossils include parts of a skull, several vertebrae (back bones), a femur (thigh bone), and an astragalus (ankle bone). It is believed that these fossils come from different types of animals.
Based on the fossils, scientists estimate that Alwalkeria was about 1.5 meters long, which is roughly 4.9 feet, and weighed around 2 to 5 kilograms (4.4 to 11 pounds).
**Classification**
Initially, Alwalkeria was classified as a type of theropod dinosaur, which is the group that also includes modern birds. Over the years, other scientists suggested it might be too primitive to fit in that group. Today, most researchers agree that Alwalkeria is a very early form of a basil saurischian, a major category of dinosaurs.
**What Lived Around Alwalkeria**
The area where Alwalkeria was found used to be near a river or lake during the Triassic period. Other dinosaurs, such as Jaklapallisaurus and Maleriraptor, also lived in that environment, showing that the area was home to different species.
**Conclusion**
Alwalkeria provides important clues about the early stages of dinosaurs. Although we don’t have a complete picture of what it looked like, studying these fossils helps scientists learn more about how dinosaurs evolved and their ancient environments.