Titanophoneus potens

Titanophenus skeleton
Titanophoneus potens -Efremov, 1938- reconstruction of the skeleton
Therapsida: Dinocephalia: Anteosauridae
Locality: Isheevo, Tatarstan, eastern European Russia
Age: Late Permian, 253 million years ago
Meaning of name: "Giant murderer"
titanophoneus skull
Titanophoneus potens -Efremov, 1938- skull
Therapsida: Dinocephalia: Anteosauridae
Locality: Isheevo, Tatarstan, eastern European Russia
Age: Late Permian, 253 million years ago

In the middle Late Permian Titanophoneus played the role of a superpredator in
terrestrial tetrapod assemblages, like Eotitanosuchus in the early Late Permian.
This specimen was found articulated and represents a young animal-
an adult skull would be almost one meter in length.
The long snout, the long tail and the
short limbs are all primitive features on this carnivorous therapsid.
The stance of Titanophoneus was primitive, because rather
than the limbs being drawn in under the body the stance was more sprawling.
Titanophoneus was more advanced than earlier carnivorous therapsids because the
temporal opening behind the eye socket was larger,
and thus there was a greater muscle mass available for closing the lower jaw.
Late Permian Titanophoneus played the role of super-predator in terrestrial
tetrapod assemblages, like Eotitanosuchus in the early Late Permian.

go to more Titanophoneus potens
return to Ulemosaurusgo to Lanthanosuchus

go to specimen index
return to dino expo
return to www.mathematical.com