With a name like “Gorgonops” I expected it to look more sci-fi-ish.
Name: Gorgonops (gore-gon-ops) “Gorgon’s arch”
Animal type: Therapsid reptile
lived: 252 - 248 mya
diet: Carnivore
size: 3.5 meters
found: Africa
fossil:
The Earth was slowly dying as it Pangaea died up from coast to coast, temperatures were getting higher and higher very quickly and rainfall became more and more scarce. In these harsh conditions few animals were surviving. The gorgonops was preying on anything that was left. It was a gigantic carnivorous reptile, the size of an elephant but moving sleek and quickly like a fox. It had large, long and sharp teeth permitting it to take down large animals with its strong jaw. It also had two long saber teeth, one of the first animals to have such a thing.
The gorgonops was extremely well adapted for life in these harsh conditions. Its long and upright legs allowed it to walk and run efficiently while it’s keen eye sight and sense of smell made it a very dangerous predator. The animals probably lived in groups, hunting during the cooler times of day and resting in the shade at peak hours. It would have taken several of the animals to take down the larger herbivores dwelling in the same areas.
The gorgonops is a member of the therapisid family - a group of reptiles that adapted well to change, were cold blooded and had a variety of mammalian characteristics. Their long legs tucked under the body and their oddly shaped teeth (odd for reptiles) gave way for the first mammals to evolve such as the thrinaxodon. Although the gorgonops seemed to be a wonder animal fully adapted for harsh weather it did not survive the great extinction 248 mya, mostly due to the fact that most of the animals they hunted became extinct.
