New “mega-carnivore” dinosaur species revealed in African fossil footprints

Nowadays lions, leopards and cheetahs may be the dominant carnivores of Lesotho, Africa, but they all pale in comparison to what might have been the largest predator to ever stalk the continent. Palaeontologists have found the first evidence of a previously unknown mega-carnivore dinosaur that lived much earlier than others of its size.

The evidence in question is a set of footprints left in rock that dates back 200 million years, to the Early Jurassic period. Back then, the area was apparently a watering hole or river bank, judging by the ripple marks and dessication cracks the team found in the surface.

https://newatlas.com/mega-carnivore-dinosaur-africa-footprints/51914/

In answer to your first question: No, humans did not live with dinosaurs (except in the ultracladist scheme by which birds are considered dinosaurs).

PermeateFree said:

New “mega-carnivore” dinosaur species revealed in African fossil footprints

Palaeontologists have found the first evidence of a previously unknown mega-carnivore dinosaur that lived much earlier than others of its size.

The evidence in question is a set of footprints left in rock that dates back 200 million years, to the Early Jurassic period. Back then, the area was apparently a watering hole or river bank, judging by the ripple marks and dessication cracks the team found in the surface.

https://newatlas.com/mega-carnivore-dinosaur-africa-footprints/51914/

Much earlier than others of its size in the early Jurassic isn’t much of an ask. The earliest carnivorous dinosaurs are the Coelophysoidea, which were around from late Triassic to Early Jurassic, 227-180 Ma. A typical member is Coelophysis, which was “only” 3 metres long. Here’s a comparison in size with a human.

There were large dinosaurs known from around that time, but only herbivores and omnivores. The new footprints are a heck of a lot bigger than possible from any other carnivorous dinosaurs known from that era.

whenever I see avians I see dinosaurs

one of the joys of my life

mollwollfumble said:

PermeateFree said:

New “mega-carnivore” dinosaur species revealed in African fossil footprints

Palaeontologists have found the first evidence of a previously unknown mega-carnivore dinosaur that lived much earlier than others of its size.

The evidence in question is a set of footprints left in rock that dates back 200 million years, to the Early Jurassic period. Back then, the area was apparently a watering hole or river bank, judging by the ripple marks and dessication cracks the team found in the surface.

https://newatlas.com/mega-carnivore-dinosaur-africa-footprints/51914/

Much earlier than others of its size in the early Jurassic isn’t much of an ask. The earliest carnivorous dinosaurs are the Coelophysoidea, which were around from late Triassic to Early Jurassic, 227-180 Ma. A typical member is Coelophysis, which was “only” 3 metres long. Here’s a comparison in size with a human.

There were large dinosaurs known from around that time, but only herbivores and omnivores. The new footprints are a heck of a lot bigger than possible from any other carnivorous dinosaurs known from that era.

Perhaps if you read the article it might tell you the reason why things are described the way they are.

Here’s my collection of carnivorous mostly-dinosaurs from the mostly-early-Jurassic. Even the largest is not big enough to make footprints that size, and the largest is actually from later, its ancestor from the early Jurassic is much smaller and shown at bottom right.

mollwollfumble said:

Here’s my collection of carnivorous mostly-dinosaurs from the mostly-early-Jurassic. Even the largest is not big enough to make footprints that size, and the largest is actually from later, its ancestor from the early Jurassic is much smaller and shown at bottom right.

The light blue one is the odd one out

dv said:

mollwollfumble said:

Here’s my collection of carnivorous mostly-dinosaurs from the mostly-early-Jurassic. Even the largest is not big enough to make footprints that size, and the largest is actually from later, its ancestor from the early Jurassic is much smaller and shown at bottom right.

The light blue one is the odd one out

that is eric abetz.

mollwollfumble said:

Here’s my collection of carnivorous mostly-dinosaurs from the mostly-early-Jurassic. Even the largest is not big enough to make footprints that size, and the largest is actually from later, its ancestor from the early Jurassic is much smaller and shown at bottom right.

That was the point of the article. It was an unusually large predator for its time.

dv said:

mollwollfumble said:

Here’s my collection of carnivorous mostly-dinosaurs from the mostly-early-Jurassic. Even the largest is not big enough to make footprints that size, and the largest is actually from later, its ancestor from the early Jurassic is much smaller and shown at bottom right.

The light blue one is the odd one out

The one in the middle is the odd one out. It’s the only quadruped, all the others are bipeds.

It’s also the only archosaur, and is only very slightly different to the most recent common ancestor of both humans and dinosaurs.

> That was the point of the article. It was an unusually large predator for its time.

Well, duh. But even more than that, its feet are more than twice as long as all other known carnivorous dinosaurs at that time.

mollwollfumble said:

dv said:

mollwollfumble said:

Here’s my collection of carnivorous mostly-dinosaurs from the mostly-early-Jurassic. Even the largest is not big enough to make footprints that size, and the largest is actually from later, its ancestor from the early Jurassic is much smaller and shown at bottom right.

The light blue one is the odd one out

The one in the middle is the odd one out. It’s the only quadruped, all the others are bipeds.

It’s also the only archosaur, and is only very slightly different to the most recent common ancestor of both humans and dinosaurs.

> That was the point of the article. It was an unusually large predator for its time.

Well, duh. But even more than that, its feet are more than twice as long as all other known carnivorous dinosaurs at that time.

Well, duh.