Estemmenosuchus uralensis Therapsida:Eotheriodontia: Estemmenosuchidae Locality: Ocher, Perm Region, eastern European Russia Age: Late Permian, 255 million years ago Meaning of name: "Crowned crocodile" The rigid stems of sphenophyt plants, giant relatives of the living horstails, accumulated in the coastal parts of the well-heated brackish basins, partially rotten sphenophyt remains with mushrooms, which sprouted on them, became a soft nutritious heap. This heap could be eaten up by the huge herbivorous eotheriodonts of the genus Estemmenosuchus. They grasped soft forage with their long and strong front teeth and swallowed without chewing, as their weak and thin lateral teeth only served to keep food in the mouth. The skeleton of a large herbivore from the Dinocephalia is presented. The skeleton was preserved in a channel flood deposit. With large horns projecting both upwards and outwards and a sprawling posture as well as reduced teeth behind the large canines, these massive, clumsy-looking animals would seem almost certain to have been herbivores. However, at least one expert on mammal-like reptiles asserts that Estemmenosuchus was a carnivore, exerting great force at the tips of the chisel-like front teeth when slicing the flesh and bones of its prey. Estemmenosuchus may have been warm-blooded with an internal heat engine like mammals. Another mechanism is what is called inertial warm-bloodedness-maintenance of a high body temperature by controlling loss of heat. This could be achieved by the build of this animal in that it was a large, compact form with a low surface area to volume ratio-and so, little heat escaped. At the moment scientists cannot resolve which theory is correct. |
