Titanophoneus

Name:
Titanophoneus (Greek for "titanic murderer"); pronounced tie-TAN-oh-PHONE-ee-us
Habitat:
Woodlands of central Asia
Historical Period:
Late Permian (255-250 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About 8 feet long and 200 pounds
Diet:
Meat
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Long tail and head; short, sprawling legs
About Titanophoneus:

As therapsids, or mammal-like reptiles, go, Titanophoneus has been a bit oversold by paleontologists. True, this "titanic murderer" was probably dangerous to other therapsids of the late Permian period, but it must have been positively harmless compared to the bigger raptors and tyrannosaurs that lived almost 200 million years later.

Probably the most advanced feature of Titanophoneus was its teeth: two dagger-like canines in front, accompanied by sharp incisors and flat molars in back for grinding up flesh. As with other mammal-like reptiles--which went on to spawn the first true mammals of the late Triassic period--it's possible that Titanophoneus was covered in fur and had a warm-blooded metabolism, though we may never know for sure.