Pampaphoneus biccai — a large carnivorous dinocephalian therapsid that lived in what is now Brazil during the Permian period — was, until now, known only by its holotype specimen. Now, paleontologists from Brazil and the United States have described in detail an almost complete skull of Pampaphoneus biccai associated with a few postcranial remains.
Life reconstruction of Pampaphoneus biccai. Image credit: Márcio Castro.
Pampaphoneus biccai belongs to the clade Dinocephalia, a group of large-bodied Permian therapsids.
The ancient predator lived just before the end-Permian mass extinction, the largest extinction event in the history of Earth that eliminated 86% of all animal species worldwide.
Before this extinction event, dinocephalians were one of the major groups of large terrestrial animals that thrived on land.
They were medium to large-sized creatures with both carnivorous and herbivorous representatives.
Dinocephalians had thick cranial bones, which led to the group’s name which translates to ‘terrible head’ in Greek.
While well-known in South Africa and Eastern Europe, these animals are rare in other parts of the world.
Pampaphoneus biccai, the only known dinocephalian species in Brazil, was a skilled predator capable of feeding on small to medium-sized animals.
The largest Pampaphoneus biccai individuals could reach nearly 3 m (10 feet) in length and weigh around 400 kg.
“Pampaphoneus biccai was a gnarly-looking beast, and it must have evoked sheer dread in anything that crossed its path,” said Federal University of Pampa’s Professor Felipe Pinheiro.
“Its discovery is key to providing a glimpse into the community structure of terrestrial ecosystems just prior to the biggest mass extinction of all time.”
“A spectacular find that demonstrates the global importance of Brazil’s fossil record.”
The new fossil material of Pampaphoneus biccai — including a complete skull and some skeletal bones, such as ribs and arm bones — found in the rural area of São Gabriel, Southern Brazil.
“The fossil was found in middle Permian rocks, in an area where bones are not so common, but always hold pleasant surprises,” said Mateus A. Costa Santos, a graduate student at the Federal University of Pampa.
“Finding a new Pampaphoneus biccai skull after so long was extremely important for increasing our knowledge about the animal, which was previously difficult to differentiate from its East European relatives.”
The new specimen is only the second skull of Pampaphoneus biccai ever discovered in South America.
It is also larger than the first and provides unprecedented information about its morphology due to the exceptional preservation of its bones.
“Pampaphoneus biccai played the same ecological role as modern big cats,” Professor Pinheiro said.
“It was the largest terrestrial predator we know of from the Permian in South America.”
“The animal had large, sharp canine teeth adapted for capturing prey.”
“Its dentition and cranial architecture suggest that its bite was strong enough to chew bones, much like modern-day hyenas.”
The findings were published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.
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Mateus A. Costa Santos et al. Cranial osteology of the Brazilian dinocephalian Pampaphoneus biccai (Anteosauridae: Syodontinae). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, published online September 10, 2023; doi: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlad071
