El #Gorgonopsian suena como a un monstruo mítico de #DungeonsAndDragons #DnD, y no a un precursor de los mamíferos en Ibiza 🏖️☀️🌊

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https://phys.org/news/2024-12-world-oldest-mammalian-ancestor-mallorca.html

Therapsids Originated in Tropical Rather than Temperate Regions https://www.sci.news/paleontology/mallorca-gorgonopsian-13515.html

Early–middle Permian Mediterranean gorgonopsian suggests an equatorial origin of therapsids https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-54425-5

"#Therapsids were a dominant component of #Permian terrestrial ecosystems, eventually giving rise to #mammals during the early #Mesozoic... #Paleontologists have discovered a #NewSpecies of early #gorgonopsian #therapsid that was part of an ancient summer wet biome of equatorial #Pangea"

#African #FossilFriday

Southern #Africa is one of the most important places in the world for understanding the #Permian, the period that ended with the largest #MassExtinction in #Earth's history. The valleys of the #Luangwa and #Zambezi in #Zambia 🇿🇲 are particularly rich in Permian fossils, including this #gorgonopsian on display at the #UniversityOfWashington's #BurkeMuseum. These impressive animals are #therapsids, close relatives of mammals and perhaps the first #sabertooths.

#FossilAdventCalendar Day 18

The original of this cast #skeleton, displayed in the #ArizonaMuseumOfNaturalHistory, was found along the Northern Dvina River. It's from Inostrancevia alexandri, a #gorgonopsian from the #Permian. Its huge size is the first thing you'll notice about it; this #animal and its relatives were clearly among the most imposing #predators of their time. Look closer and you'll see that it shares many traits with #mammals, of which it was a not-very-distant relative.