Predator ruled before dinosaurs

Fossils are teaching us more about our ancient history on this amazing planet. The article and subsequent links will teach you something quite interesting about an animal that predated dinosaurs, was distantly related to mammals and would seem to be out of a science fiction novel.

Also, interesting to note;
The fossil site was identified through an analysis of satellite imagery from Google Earth.

Paleontologists have found the skull of a weird but deadly mammal-like monster that terrorized Brazil long before dinosaurs ruled the earth.

The specimen is from the Permian period, more than 260 million years ago. The complete skull measures about 13 inches (35 centimeters) in length and was discovered in 2008 during a scientific excavation on a farm in the pampas region of Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil. The skull came from a creature that was part of a class of long-extinct vertebrates called dinocephalian therapsids, which predated the dinosaurs and were distantly related to mammals.

This next part just sounds too awesome to be true. Can you imagine a creature like that?

In an interview with Discovery News, lead researcher Juan Carlos Cisneros of Brazil's Federal University of Piaui said the critter was a cross between "a tiger and a Komodo dragon, if you can imagine that."

Original Source

More Images and Discovery Interview

sandf
wow
just wow....
so this is what bankers are decended from....

When you said Predator in your title, i was like " so predators are real"

Cool article. Thanks for bringing this to my attention!

reply to post by daaskapital


Lol yeah i was thinking the same thing.

On topic : Interesting find, i will check out the info in the links when i have a bit of spare time..

I prefer Dimetrodon myself, of the same period:

reply to post by Dimitri Dzengalshlevi


That's a great illustration! Thanks for adding.

What makes you prefer this one? Is it his mega-cool mohawk?

Thanks for moving the thread. I actually reached out to a Mod right after it was placed and he said Cryptozoo was fine, but tomato/tomAto, right?

We are all descendents of reptiles. I think that's very interesting. Sometimes, I can look at a person, or any other animal, and see their inner reptile.

Cool stuff!!

reply to post by freakjive

That's a gorgonopsid right, it looks like one. I have that high on my list of animals I want to avoid

I was hoping to see predator from the movies but knew better! Komodo Dragon and Tiger cross sic. Wonder who would win tiger vs Komodo? Neither...they both end up dying.

Ogopogo? Maybe this is the dinosaur that people see in the jungles of Africa.

reply to post by Danbones


thanks for my laugh of the day.

bad ass predators get a s n f from me...

That's mind bending stuff,
kind of reminds me of furry dragons...

awesome!!

Originally posted by freakjive
reply to post by Dimitri Dzengalshlevi

 

That's a great illustration! Thanks for adding.

What makes you prefer this one? Is it his mega-cool mohawk?

I think that's the first dino that I was acquainted with as a young aspiring paleotologist back in the glory days of childhood fantasy