Post by Deinobrontornis on Dec 28, 2011 20:31:04 GMT -5
Inostrancevia
Inostrancevia is a genus of gorgonopsid therapsid found in Sokolki, on the Smaller Northern Dvina River near Kotlas in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. The animal lived 251 million years ago during the Late Permian. The species I. alexandri is known from an almost complete skeleton missing some minor rib and vertebrae attachments.
As with all other gorgonopsid species, it was a quadruped that had an upright posture of 1-4.3 meters (3.3-14 ft) long (as large as a bear), with a bone structure characteristic of strong muscle attachments. The skull of 45 cm (18 in) in length contained a smaller eye socket and larger temporal opening than other less advanced therapsids, like Biarmosuchus tener. The teeth were quite large, the upper palate containing 6 large incisors, 2 large canines and 10 smaller back teeth and the mandible contained 6 large incisors and 8 smaller incisors.
Placerias
Placerias (meaning broad body) was a dicynodont (a group of mammal-like reptiles) that lived during the late Carnian age of the Triassic Period (221-210 million years ago). It was a member of the family Kannemeyeridae, the last known representative of the group at this time: the dicynodonts went extinct shortly afterwards.
This animal was the biggest herbivore of its time, measuring up to 3.5 metres (11.4 ft) long and weighing up to a ton (907 kilograms). with a powerful neck, strong legs, and a barrel-shaped body. There are possible ecological and evolutionary parallels with the modern hippopotamus, spending much of its time during the wet season wallowing in the water, chewing at bankside vegetation. Remaining in the water would also have given Placerias some protection against land-based predators such as Postosuchus. Placerias used its beak to slice through thick branches and roots with two short tusks that could be used for defence and for intra-specific display.
Inostrancevia is a genus of gorgonopsid therapsid found in Sokolki, on the Smaller Northern Dvina River near Kotlas in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. The animal lived 251 million years ago during the Late Permian. The species I. alexandri is known from an almost complete skeleton missing some minor rib and vertebrae attachments.
As with all other gorgonopsid species, it was a quadruped that had an upright posture of 1-4.3 meters (3.3-14 ft) long (as large as a bear), with a bone structure characteristic of strong muscle attachments. The skull of 45 cm (18 in) in length contained a smaller eye socket and larger temporal opening than other less advanced therapsids, like Biarmosuchus tener. The teeth were quite large, the upper palate containing 6 large incisors, 2 large canines and 10 smaller back teeth and the mandible contained 6 large incisors and 8 smaller incisors.
Placerias
Placerias (meaning broad body) was a dicynodont (a group of mammal-like reptiles) that lived during the late Carnian age of the Triassic Period (221-210 million years ago). It was a member of the family Kannemeyeridae, the last known representative of the group at this time: the dicynodonts went extinct shortly afterwards.
This animal was the biggest herbivore of its time, measuring up to 3.5 metres (11.4 ft) long and weighing up to a ton (907 kilograms). with a powerful neck, strong legs, and a barrel-shaped body. There are possible ecological and evolutionary parallels with the modern hippopotamus, spending much of its time during the wet season wallowing in the water, chewing at bankside vegetation. Remaining in the water would also have given Placerias some protection against land-based predators such as Postosuchus. Placerias used its beak to slice through thick branches and roots with two short tusks that could be used for defence and for intra-specific display.
