What would you do if you came across a salamander that happens to be the size of your car? Chances are that will not happen although 200 MYA that idea wouldn't be that far fetched. Researchers recently uncovered new fossils of Metoposaur, which was a carnivorous amphibian from the late Triassic Period.
The researchers discovered a new species M.algarvensis in Southern Portugal. This creature fossils indicated that it could range between 2 -3 meters, which is about 7-9 feet long! It would of lived in lakes or rivers and prey mainly on fish but also have the ability to prey on dinosaurs that came too close. Acting similar to crocdiles. The head is flattened and its eye sit on top of its head. In addition the monster salamander has hundreds of sharp teeth.
The bones were discovered in location which researchers believe it might be a mass grave as a result of a lake drying up that the creatures inhabited. Similar mass graves have been found in other locations in Africa and in North America. This creatures look like something out of a horror movie, however Metoposaur died out in the late Triassic era.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/d40f91a8a36f78d28e9ff1eb0bd49bcc.htm
1 comment:
Where does this species fit phylogenetically? Is it really a salamander? It looks more like a stem-amphibian.
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