Mirasaura

Mirasaura Temporal range: Middle Triassic (early Anisian),
Reconstructed skull of the holotype based on μCT scans
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Clade:	Neodiapsida
Clade:	†Drepanosauromorpha
Genus:	†Mirasaura Spiekman et al., 2025
Species:	†M. grauvogeli
Binomial name
†Mirasaura grauvogeli Spiekman et al., 2025

External image
Anatomy of Mirasaura: holotype (a–c) and referred (c–g) specimens, reconstructed skeleton (h)

Mirasaura (meaning "wonderful reptile") is an extinct genus of drepanosauromorph reptiles known from the Middle Triassic (Anisian age) Grès à Voltzia Formation of France. The genus contains a single species, Mirasaura grauvogeli, known from two partial skeletons preserving the skull, most of the body, and the soft tissue crest, in addition to 80 incomplete specimens preserving isolated parts of this crest. Like the closely related Longisquama, Mirasaura bears an unusual crest of elongated appendages over its back, likely serving a display purpose.

Discovery and naming

The Mirasaura fossil material was primarily discovered by Louis Grauvogel while excavating fossils in the Vosges mountains. This fossiliferous locality, which represents outcrops of the lower part of the Grès à Voltzia Formation, is found in the Lorraine region of eastern France, spanning around 100 km from north to south and 40 km from east to west. In May 1939, Grauvogel collected two partial skeletons, identified as reptilian in nature. While the skeletal material was recognized as belonging to an indeterminate reptile genus, Grauvogel noted the presence of a preserved soft tissue structure rising above the animal's dorsum (back), which he first identified as a fish fin. Later researchers proposed that it instead represented the wing of an insect or parts of a plant. It was not until 2019, when Grauvogel's fossil collection was acquired by the State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, that this structure was recognized as part of the reptile's anatomy. The two specimens preserving skeletal material are accessioned as SMNS 97278—a articulated nearly complete skull along with the poorly preserved postcranium, in addition to most of the soft tissue crest—and SMNS 97279—a partial skull, much of the postcranium, and part of the crest. 80 additional specimens representing the soft tissue crest, ranging from nearly complete to isolated appendages, are also referable to this animal.

In 2025, Stephan N. F. Spiekman and colleagues described Mirasaura grauvogeli as a new genus and species of drepanosauromorph reptiles based on these fossil remains. They established specimen SMNS 97278 as the holotype. The generic name, Mirasaura, combines the Latin mira, meaning 'wonderful' or 'marvelous', with the Ancient Greek σαύρα (saura), meaning "reptile" or "lizard". The specific name, grauvogeli, honours Louis Grauvogel, the discoverer of the Mirasaura material and many other fossils in nearby localities.

Classification

Speculative life restoration of the closely related Longisquama

In their phylogenetic analysis, Spiekman and colleagues recovered Mirasaura as a member of the Drepanosauromorpha, as the sister taxon to Longisquama. The exact position of drepanosauromorphs within the reptile clade Neodiapsida is uncertain due to the presence of an unresolved polytomy at the base of this clade. These results are displayed in the cladogram below:

Neodiapsida	†Drepanosauromorpha †Hypuronector †Longisquama †Mirasaura †Vallesaurus †Dolabrosaurus †Megalancosaurus †Avicranium †Drepanosaurus †Coelurosauravus †Rautiania spp. †Weigeltisaurus †Claudiosaurus †Acerosodontosaurus †Hovasaurus †Thadeosaurus †Youngina †Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone 'Youngina' Sauria Archosauromorpha Pantestudines Lepidosauromorpha