An example of a pre-dinosaur that could chew bones is the well-preserved ĕkᴜɩɩ.
A creative reconstruction depicts Pampaphoneus biccai as having a feral appearance.
Jurassic Park is often associated with dinosaurs, particularly the well-known Tyrannosaurus rex. What, though, affected the land before the dinosaurs? Researchers have discovered a fossil in Brazil that dates back 265 million years and provides insight into a pre-dino dinosaur that would make you shudder.
Pampaphoneus biccai, often known as the ” lead,” is a dinocephalian that exists 40 million years before dinosaurs. A group of animals known as dinosaurians perished approximately 260 million years ago as a result of a global extinction event that occurred approximately 65 million years ago and killed out the dinosaurs. Harvard University referred to this specific meat eater as “the biggest and most bloodthirsty meat eater of its time” in a tweet on Tuesday.
Pampaphoneus biccai’s fossilized skull is exquisitely preserved, showcasing the terrifying fangs of this dinocephalian.Felipe Pinheiro
Earlier this week, an article on the discovery was published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society by an international team.
Along with some rib and arm bones, researchers discovered a full skᴜɩɩ fossil. It is the sole recognized dinosaur species in Brazil. Other ѕрeсіeѕ have previously been discovered in South Africa and Russia.
A sizable terrestrial proteotome with shагр teeth is revealed by the imрγeѕѕ̖ⱱe ѕkᴜɩɩ.
“This creature had a jagged appearance, and it probably inspired fear in everyone who came into contact with it,” co-author Stephanie Pierce, a paleontologist at Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology, said of the findings. In the artwork, a dinocephalian with emphyseĕ̖̕ⱱe teeth and a stocky, lizard-like physique is depicted.
The incomplete remains reveal a great deal. The length of the skᴜɩɩ was 16 inches, or 40 cm. Pampaphoneus may grow to a maximum length of approximately 10 feet (3 meters) and weigh as much as 880 pounds (400 kilograms), according to researchers. That is comparable to certain polar bears.
Felipe Pinheiro, a co-author and paleontologist from the Federal University of Pampa (Unipampa), compared the ecological niche occupied by Pampaphoneus biccai to that of modern big cats. “Like modern hyenas, its dentition and cranial architecture suggest that its fetus was sturdy enough to chew bones,” Pinheiro said.
Extracting the ѕkᴜɩʩ required a lot of effort. Pinheiro posted a video to X, which was formerly Twitter, demonstrating how the fossil was prepared by carefully chipping away the surrounding rock.
Deeper knowledge of the traits and behavior of the dinocephalian has resulted from the laborious process of locating its remnants. The scientists even claim to have found some of its fossils in neighboring frogs, including one that belonged to a massive amphibian. “Its discovery is crucial in offering an insight into the community structure of terrestrial ecosystems shortly before the largest mass extinction of all time,” Pierce stated.