Paleontology, science, and the general weirdness of nature. Also, feathering ALL the dinosaurs.
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Inostrancevia, a gorgonopsid from the Late Permian of Russia (260-254 mya). Growing to about 3m long (9'10"), it had massive “sabertooth” canine teeth and probably preyed upon large stocky pareiasaurs like Scutosaurus.
Gorgonopsids were synapsids, or “stem-mammals”, and were often referred to as “mammal-like reptiles” in older sources. Unlike the basal reptile-like pelycosaurs (which include the familiar Dimetrodon), the gorgonopsids were members of the more “advanced” therapsid branch of the synapsids – possessing upright limbs, differentiated teeth, and the early stages of the evolution of the mammalian ear arrangement.
It’s not known whether these animals had mammal-like hair or naked leathery skin. I’ve also chosen to depict this one with small external ear flaps.