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"Only now do we know the true story- Megarachne was a giant prehistoric sea scorpion." |
Dinogorgon ruled as the reptile-king 280 million years ago. This lizard was the bulkiest beast to ever set claw on land until dinosaurs showed up. Dinogorgon dominated other land animals and feasted on whatever it liked; an open area with grazing animals looked like a buffet line to this predator. Like saber-toothed cats that came later, dinogorgon had extra-long teeth in its upper jaw, and stabbed them into prey repeatedly to make its kills.
The Chase is On: Dinogorgon stood on long legs, suggesting that the creature could run well. Experts think it leaped onto the backs of victims and stabbed them with its long teeth.
Saber-Toothed Lizard: Most of dinogorgon's teeth were long and sharp, but it had a thick upper pair that measured up to six inches in length. These teeth were the same size as T-rex's, and were the fiercest weapons on Earth 250 million years ago.
King Gorgon the First[]
This well-preserved fossil sits on a family farm in South Africa.
Dinogorgon was one of the first large predators to rule on land. Like lions in Africa and meat-eating dinosaurs, scientists consider this reptile the "top prdator [sic]" of its day; it was the first time such a dominant animal had stalked the land. With a body that measured 10 feet long and an aggressive attitude, this beast could take down other predators and even crack the armor of a large herbivore known as scutosaurus. Dinogorgon used stabbing teeth to break through to the plant-eaters' meaty insides.
Teamwork: Some think that dinogorgon might have hunted in small packs at times. Working together, three or four of these brutes could easily have taken down a dicynodon, a hippo-sized herbivore, and shared the meat.
Death by Eruption: The worst natural disaster in the Earth's history happened about 245 million years ago. Scientists think the ground split open over thousands of miles, and burst with lava sprays for thousands of years, killing 95 percent of the living creatures on land.
Timeline[]
Dinogorgon lived from 280-250 million years ago, during the Permian Period.
Trading Card[]
Trivia[]
- In the 'King Gorgon the First' section, 'predator' is spelled without the 'e'.
- The dinogorgon is featured on several Monster Mania cards:
- It is first featured in The Real Deal on Monster Mania 62.
- It is then featured in Man & Beast on Monster Mania 65.
- It is once again featured in Fossil Finders on Monster Mania 67.
- The skull used in the game is the same one on the back of the knowledge card.
- It is then used in one of the example creatures for Create-A-Monster on Monster Mania 89.
- Dinogorgon is now believed to be a therapsid (proto-mammal), not a lizard.
- Dinogorgon is a species of Gorgonopsid.