My introduction to Estemmenosuchus came from the 1994 episode of Paleo-World titled “Tail of a Sail”, which was about Dimetrodon and other synapsids, their evolution, and how they relate to mammals. Estemmenosuchus was only featured briefly via images of its skull and a couple pieces of paleoart but that was enough for me to become enamored with this animal and to help broaden my appreciation for prehistoric life beyond the Mesozoic.
Young and old gather around and see the new king in town. I present the highly anticipated 2017 Safari Ltd. Giganotosaurus. Why do I call it the new king? Sure it doesn’t have the name rex in its name, and its not because it was one of the largest known carnivores the world has seen, in which some estimates have it bigger than the almighty Tyrannosaurus Rex.
For over 25 million years Hyaenodons hunted across Africa, Asia, North America and Europe. They were formidable predators that had oversized jaws. When hunting they would have probably ambush their prey with a quick rush, grab on to the head or neck with that impressive maw, and secure the kill.
The body of this hadrosaur is well designed, and is very accurate except on a few details. Starting at the base of the neck the back has a large arc in it that stops at the legs.
It was a hot July day. To beat the heat and to stay cool I headed off to a nearby creek to sit by the water. I found a tall tree by the water and walked into the shade. I slumped back onto the trunk, closed my eyes, and let my bare feet extend past the bank and dangle over the water.
