Ancient Skull Unveils Pre-Dinosaur Giant Predator

Scientists have discovered the skull of a fearsome prehistoric predator called Pampaphoneus biccai in Brazil, which lived 265 million years ago, 40 million years before dinosaurs. This carnivorous beast, belonging to the dinocephalia clade, had large canine teeth and a strong bite capable of chewing bones. Pampaphoneus was a towering 3 meters tall and weighed an estimated 400 kilograms. The well-preserved fossil provides new insights into the species and its ecological role, shedding light on the terrestrial ecosystems before the largest mass extinction event in history.