Unveiling the Terrifying Face of the Prehistoric "Tadpole From Hell"
Scientists have reconstructed the face of a 330 million-year-old extinct species, Crassigyrinus scoticus, using CT scanning and 3D visualization. The animal, which lived in coal swamps in what is now Scotland and parts of North America, had huge teeth and powerful jaws, and was around 6.5 to 9.8 feet long. It had a relatively flat body and very short limbs, similar to a crocodile or alligator, and was adapted to hunt prey in swampy terrain. The new facial reconstruction shows it had large eyes to see in muddy water, as well as lateral lines, a sensory system that allows animals to detect vibrations in water.