Pampaphoneus biccai

Disclaimer: Copyright infringement not intended.

Context

• In a new study published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, researchers reveal the discovery of a 265-million-year-old, preserved fossil species, Pampaphoneus biccai. It has been found in the rural area of São Gabriel, Southern Brazil.
• 40 million years before the age of dinosaurs Pampaphoneus biccai roamed South America as the biggest and most dangerous predator of its time.

All about Pampaphoneus biccai

• Pampaphoneus, belongs to the early therapsid clade called dinocephalians.
• Dinocephalians lived just before the largest extinction event in the history of Earth that eliminated 86% of all animal species worldwide.
• Before the extinction event, dinocephalians were one of the major groups of large terrestrial animals that thrived on land.
• They were medium to large-sized creatures with both carnivorous and herbivorous representatives.
• Dinocephalians had thick cranial bones, which led to the group's name which translates to "terrible head" in Greek.
• While well-known in South Africa and Russia, these animals are rare in other parts of the world.
• Pampaphoneus biccai is the only known species in Brazil.
• “Pampaphoneus played the same ecological role as modern big cats.
• The animal had large, sharp canine teeth adapted for capturing prey.
• Its dentition and cranial architecture suggest that its bite was strong enough to chew bones, much like modern-day hyenas.
• Researchers estimate that the largest Pampaphoneus individuals could reach nearly three meters in length and weigh around 400kg. It was a skilled predator capable of feeding on small to medium-sized animals.

https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/science/pampaphoneus-biccai-dinosaur-predator-8937978/