Ulemosaurus svijagensis Therapsida: Dinocephalia: Tapinocephalidae Locality: Isheevo, Tatarstan, eastern European Russia Age: Late Permian, 255 million years ago Meaning of name: "Reptile from the Ulema River" The herbivorous dinocephalian Ulemosaurus was obviously similar in its appearance and mode of living to Estemmenosuchus, but differs from the latter, in particular, by more specialized dentition. Both Ulemosaurus and Estemmenosuchus, unlike mammals, could not chew food because of the lack of bony palate, separating the respiratory ducts from the mouth cavity. Ulemosaurus was a prey to the huge sabre-toothed dinocephalian Titanophoneus, that could steal up easily to such a relatively ponderous and constantly grazing prey. Several skulls and skeletons of this species were recovered from the sandstones were probably deposited by high energy floods. The skull bones of this animal were extremely dense. Like Estemmenosuchus, this reptile would seem to have been a herbivore. However, in both cases it has been suggested by some researchers that these animals were carnivores, biting their prey by rapidly slamming the lower jaw shut against the upper, the teeth acting as blades. With the heavy construction of the lower jaw, there would probably have been enough momentum to cut flesh in this manner. Paleontologists who regard them as vegetarians point out that their small side teeth and their front teeth were evidently adapted for gripping vegetation. These scientists suggest that very little food processing went on in the mouth, but that most took place in the stomach and intestines. The teeth were adapted mainly just for picking food. Ulemosaurus was a gigantic animal with a very thick frontal bone that sometimes reached 10 cm in thickness. Some paleontologists think that this was a specialization for head butting behaviour. |
