Pre-Dinosaur Era Animal Skull Found

RIO DE JANEIRO – In Brazil, archeologists have discovered the skull of an animal of prey that pre-dates dinosaurs. The animal was the size of a dog but the specie has completely died out.

The discovered skull belongs to an animal that is descendent from the Pampaphoneus biccai, a reptile with sharp, flesh tearing teeth, that lived 265 million years ago.

The animal in question was part of a specie that resembled dinosaurs but went extinct even before dinosaurs made their presence on earth.

The beast had strong jaws allowing it to tear off chunks of flesh from another animal while it was still alive.

The name Pampaphoneus biccai was given by scientists based on the location where the carnivore was found, in the Pampa’s or grass fields of Brazil. The word ‘phoneus’ is derived from the Greek word meaning ‘murderer’.

While the animal was discovered in Brazil, it stems from an era when the continents were still connected in a landmass known as ‘Pangaea’.

Prior to the discovery made in Brazil, scientists were aware of the carnivore’s early existence in Russia, China, Kazakhstan and South Africa.

Interestingly, the pre-historic animal was discovered when scientists were studying a portion of Brazil on Google Maps, noticed a bold spot and decided to investigate further.

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