New Analysis Shows the Anteosaur May Have Been Much More Agile

By JJ Foster -

The world of prehistoric creatures never ceases to amaze. A recent study of an anteosaur skull showed that this infamous ancient reptile may have been much speedier than previously thought.

The Anteosaur Ruled Some 260 Million Years Ago

Before the rise of dinosaurs, there were bone-crushing anteosaurs with banana-sized fangs that ruled the prehistoric world before they eventually went extinct. In their prime, scientists believe that the anteosaur was a hefty reptile that moved slowly and heavily. That conclusion was based on the fact that anteosaurs were pretty much the same size of today’s rhinos and hippos which are known to be sluggish beasts.

A depiction of an anteosaur chasing a "Moschognathus" — New Analysis Shows the Anteosaur May Have Been Much More Agile

However, upon a closer look at the skull of an Anteosaurus magnificus, things begin to tell a different story.

Anteosaurs Were Agile Hunters

Using CT scans of fossil skull segments, Ashley Kruger and her team of paleontologists at the Swedish Museum of Natural History in Stockholm, were able to digitally reconstruct the long noggin of a young A. magnificus. They found that the predator’s inner ears suggest the anteosaur may have had a larger brain region compared to previous studies. That particular brain region was responsible to coordinate motion while surveilling prey.

A depiction of an anteosaur — New Analysis Shows the Anteosaur May Have Been Much More Agile

What’s more, the team also compared their A. magnificus digital model to another herbivorous relative, the Moschognathus whaitsi. They found that the anteousaurs held their head more leveled which allowed them to easily scan their environment. These and other findings suggest that the anteosaur was an agile hunter able to move quickly to track its prey.

What’s Next?

Z. Jack Tseng, a paleontologist at Berkeley University, comments that even though these conclusions are reasonable, a lot more research is required to verify them with greater certainty. The skull itself isn’t enough to tell us how anteosaurs may have moved, and he hopes that the rest of the skeleton would help in creating a more accurate study.