Ancient Apex Predators: Earth's Pre-Dinosaur Bloodthirsty Beasts Revealed
Originally Published 2 years ago — by New York Post
A new archaeological study has revealed the existence of Pampaphoneus biccai, apex predators that dominated the Earth 40 million years before the dinosaurs. The discovery of a nearly complete skull in Brazil provides insight into the community structure of terrestrial ecosystems prior to the largest mass extinction event in history. Pampaphoneus biccai, part of the therapsid family, was the largest terrestrial predator known from the Permian period in South America. These prehistoric beasts had thick cranial bones and were comparable to modern-day big cats in their ecological role.