PaleoPath

▶

▶ 1.1K ❤ 0 💬 0

Borealopelta markmitchelli “Markmitchell’s Northern Shield” •Nodosaurid •Early Cretaceous (110 mya) •Length: 5.5 metres •Height: 1.5 metres •Weight: 1-2 tons •Diet: Herbivorous •Where It Lived: Alberta ————————————————————— #makemefamous #jurassic #dinosaur #dino #blowthisup

▶

▶ 1K ❤ 0 💬 0

Syncerus antiquus “Ancient Fused Horn” •Bovid •Middle-Late Pleistocene (1,000,000-12,000 years ago) •Length: 3-3.2 metres •Height: 1.8-2 metres •Weight: 1.2 tons •Diet: Herbivorous •Where It Lived: Africa ————————————————————— Syncerus antiquus, commonly known as the giant buffalo, is an extinct species of large bovin that lived in Africa during the Pleistocene epoch, from approximately 1 million to 12,000 years ago. It is closely related to the modern African buffalo, but differed significantly in size and horn morphology, representing a distinct and more robust lineage within the genus. Syncerus antiquus was substantially larger than its modern relative, with estimated shoulder heights exceeding 1.7 meters and body masses possibly over 1.2 tons. Its most distinctive feature was its enormous, laterally extended horns, which formed a wide span and lacked the fully developed central boss seen in modern African buffalo. These horns could reach spans of over 2 meters, making them among the largest of any known bovin. Fossil remains of S. antiquus have been recovered from a wide range of sites across sub-Saharan Africa, including eastern and southern regions, often in association with open grassland and savanna environments. Its anatomy and isotopic evidence suggest it was primarily a grazer, feeding on grasses in expansive, open habitats. As a member of the Pleistocene megafauna, Syncerus antiquus coexisted with a diverse assemblage of large herbivores and predators, including early humans. Its extinction near the end of the Pleistocene is thought to have been influenced by a combination of climatic shifts and increasing human pressure. The species is important for understanding the evolutionary history of African bovids and the ecological dynamics of prehistoric savanna ecosystems. #makemefamous #jurassic #dinosaur #dino #blowthisup

▶

▶ 1K ❤ 0 💬 0

Lythronax argestes “Northwest Wind’s Gore King” •Tyrannosaur •Late Cretaceous (80-79 mya) •Length: 7-8 metres •Height: 3 metres •Weight: 1.5-2 tons •Diet: Carnivorous •Where It Lived: Utah —————————————————————— Lythronax argestes is a species of large tyrannosaurine theropod dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 80-79 million years ago, in what is now southern Utah, United States. It is among the oldest known members of the subfamily Tyrannosaurinae and provides critical insight into the early evolution of large-bodied tyrannosaurid predators in North America. The species is known from a partial but diagnostic skeleton recovered from the Wahweap Formation of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Lythronax is estimated to have reached lengths of around 7-8 meters, making it a large apex predator for its time. It possessed the hallmark traits of advanced tyrannosaurines, including a massive, deep skull, large serrated teeth adapted for bone-crushing, and proportionally long hind limbs for powerful locomotion. Lythronax is particularly notable for its skull anatomy, which shows forward-facing eyes that would have provided strong binocular vision, as well as a broad snout and robust cranial construction comparable to later tyrannosaurines such as Tyrannosaurus rex. These features suggest that many of the defining adaptations of giant tyrannosaurids evolved earlier than previously recognized. The species name argestes refers to a mythological wind from the southwest, reflecting the dinosaur’s geographic origin. The discovery of Lythronax supports the hypothesis that tyrannosaurines originated in southern Laramidia and later diversified northward, becoming the dominant apex predators of Late Cretaceous ecosystems. #makemefamous #jurassic #dinosaur #dino #blowthisup