Living 15-30 million years ago in North America, Daeodon was part of a group of animals known as entelodonts, or hell pigs. Standing some six feet tall, Daeodon lived in the savanna environment which seems to have dominated the USA at the time. It was like a cursorial, hoofed bear, eating nuts, roots, tubers, leaves, vines, and carrion, and hunting big game when the opportunity presented itself. Males used their teeth and possibly the bones jutting out from their face to fight each other for dominance.
Despite being named after the famous Muppet frog, Kermitops gratus here wasn't actually a frog itself. Instead it was a close relative of the common ancestor of all modern amphibians, part of a grouping of amphibian-like animals known as amphibamiform temnospondyls.
Living in what is now Texas, USA, during the mid-Permian, about 275 million years ago, Kermitops would have resembled a chunky salamander. Only its fossil skull is known, so its full body size is uncertain, but based on the proportions of related amphibamiformes it was probably around 15-20cm long (~6-8").
Although its discovery helps to fill in the very sparse fossil record of the early evolution of modern amphibians, it's also complicated matters more than expected. Previously it was thought that the characteristic skull anatomy of modern amphibians evolved in a clear sequence, but Kermitops has a unique mix of features that doesn't fit this idea – suggesting that there was a lot of convergent evolution going on in amphibamiformes at the time.
I absolutely love this it a blog! As is probably apparent from my username, I am a genetic freak and absolutely love color mutations. This blog is a blessing and I can’t wait to see what creatures you post next!
Hey! Thank you , that is very kind ! Piebald creatures are a crowd favorite here, and for good reason! Gotta love a flashy anomaly. Here is my flashy worm child, Poptart the palmetto corn snake! I think the gene is essentially extreme piebald, if I remember right?
my sona is an entelodont but the realization struck me that he doesnt really look like one. i like the piggy look too much though. so here he is in rare HD
A refreshing break from the constant portrayal of Entelodonts as mindless meat-eating monsters; besides, why do that always have to be portrayed that way?