Triassic
Tawa
Tawa hallae
The catalogue presents Tawa as a carnivore member of Tawasauridae that lived during the Triassic, between 214 Ma. Its estimated range is 2.0 m in length and 15 kg in mass, giving a practical sense of scale. Reference material comes from New Mexico, USA. Size and mass are approximations and may change with new fossils or methods.
Evidence-backed summary
For Tawa, the PBDB records the taxonomic attribution as Nesbitt et al. (2009).
The PBDB places it in Saurischia, and the catalogue record assigns it to the family Tawasauridae.
- PBDB · taxon.parent
- Tawasauridae
In the PBDB record, the reported stratigraphic range is the Norian.
The PBDB catalogues 3 occurrences, with material from the Chinle Formation (3). Provenance: United States.
The catalogue records the holotype as GR 245 and the type locality as “New Mexico, USA”.
- GR 245
- New Mexico, USA
The catalogue's reference measurements are 2.0 m in length and 15 kg in mass — estimates, which vary with specimen and method.
- 2.0 m
- 15 kg
The record gathers 4 bibliographic references registered in the PBDB, listed below.
Where it lived
Fossil occurrences on today’s map and in the tectonic reconstruction.
Positions reconstructed by PBDB/GPlates, not observed; this is not an exact habitat map.
Artistic 3D reconstruction
There is no approved species-specific 3D model yet. Generic anatomy will not be presented as if it were evidence.
Physical Specifications
- Length
- 2.0 m
- Weight
- 15 kg
- Period
- Triassic
- Time range
- 214 Ma
Discovery Information
- First Discovery
- 2009
- Described by
- Sterling Nesbitt
Taxonomic Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Saurischia
- Family
- Tawasauridae
- Genus
- Tawa
- Species
- T. hallae
Data status
Taxonomic name matched to PBDB and checked on 2026-08-08.
Taxonomic linkage does not automatically validate size, mass, behaviour or appearance.
- Type specimen
- GR 245
- Type locality
- New Mexico, USA