Researchers have discovered an unusual prehistoric predator in what is now Namibia. The head and its tusks alone were over half a meter long, the entire animal about two meters.
The creature, which resembles a giant salamander, was given the scientific name Gaiasia jennyae.
About 300 million years ago, the swamp creature would have lurked at the bottom of marshes and lakes, opening its wide, flat mouth to suck in passing creatures and hold them with a powerful bite.
Rovers lived long before the dinosaurs
Remains of the species were found in the Gai-As formation in northwestern Namibia, as reported by Jason Pardo’s team from the Field Museum in Chicago. The tetrapod creature lived around 280 million years ago in the Permian period – long before the first dinosaurs emerged.
It was a particularly archaic species for that time; the organisms related to it had become extinct about 40 million years earlier.
For being such a relic of ancient times, the unusual creature did quite well; it appears to have been the main predator in the area’s ecosystem. Other archaic animals were small and rare 300 million years ago.
Source: Krone
I am an experienced and passionate journalist with a strong track record in news website reporting. I specialize in technology coverage, breaking stories on the latest developments and trends from around the world. Working for Today Times Live has given me the opportunity to write thought-provoking pieces that have caught the attention of many readers.
