Dicynodontia

This is not size-accurate btw

The San people in South Africa painted a portrayal dubbed "Horned Serpent" at La Belle France in Free State Province.

This depiction resembles dicynodonts from nearby Dictonodon Assemblage Zone of the Karoo Basin with its tusks.

It was painted between 1821 and 1835 (~10 years before international science first made a formal description of a dicynodont (Dicynodon lacerticeps).

This creature probably holds significance in San myth, but nonetheless was inspired by extinct creatures.

To me, this is good evidence for ideas proposed by people like Adrienne Mayor - that mythical creatures and concepts, such as dragons and gyphons, from other cultures could be derived from long-lost fossil species.

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0309908#:~:text=The%20Horned%20Serpent%20panel%20at,conspicuous%20in%20the%20Karoo%20Basin.

This Triassic Dicynodont may be one of the most unique animals I've drawn so far. I usually draw animals with more interesting colors than just gray with no patterns, but Placerias is related to mammals, which are usually less colorful than birds and reptiles (which are what I usually draw).

Based on a skeletal diagram by Dan Folkes.

Imagine if you could Travel back in Time,to a time long before man.In your journey you will notice drastic changes in your surrounding.Plants will change around you and so will the landscape.Right now we are at an amazing period of time known as the late Cretaceous,this is Madagascar 66 Million Years Ago.

We see a mom and Dad Majungasaurus and bab Walking Sausages.

This is Majungasaurus,an 8 meter long carnivore,it’s the top Predator of the area.Right now it’s eating the Titanosaur Rapetosaurus.

We see a few Masiakasaurus get close to the carcass before Moma Majungasaurus roars at them and they flee.

But in this Program we aren’t staying here,we’re going back even further.

Then we stop 167 Million Years ago in China

This is Sinraptor,at 7.6 Meters in length and a weight of 1.2 Tons,it’s the top predator of this land

A Jiangjunosaurus faces the Sinraptor.

These 2 titans shall clash,only one will survive.

The Sinraptor and Jiangjunosaurus charge at each other.

But we’re not stopping here,we’re going back even further,to a time where Dinosaurs we’re Underdogs

We zoom into the bottom left of Pangea

This is Argentina 215 million years ago.

We see some animals that look like weird Pig Rhinos.

This animal looks like a pig,but it’s not,it’s a Jachaleria,a Stem-mammal.It was only the size of a Lion but fierce in combat.

The camera pans over to a predator

This is Zupaysaurus,it was around the size of Jachaleria but much thinner,it’s one of the first dinosaurs

The Zupaysaurus creeps up and leaps out as this theme plays

https://youtu.be/Z5-p1jr4iPA

The Zupaysaurus leaps on to the Jachaleria and bites down on the neck,all the Jachaleria run and scream in terror.The Zupaysaurus flips over the Jachaleria

The Zupaysaurus rips open the Jachaleria’s stomps woth it’s claws,the Jachaleria gets eaten alive while it slowly bleeds to death.

Tiny Powellvenator walks up to the Zupaysaurus’s kill,the Zupaysaurus roars at it.

Powellvenator is a relative of Zupaysaurus,however at 2 meters in length it’s only half the size of Zupaysaurus.

In the background we see a predator walking towards the Zupaysaurus

Right now,dinosaurs aren’t the top predators,Rausuchians are At 8 Meters in length and with weight of 2 Tons,Fasolasuchus is the largest predator here.

This theme plays

https://youtu.be/xeijzpoT9L8

The Fasolasuchus rushes at the Zupaysaurus and quickly crushes its skull,the Zupaysaurus screams in pain but it’s no use,it dies quickly after.

This attack is to remove competition,not for prey.

We time skip to the night where a mixed herd of 2 Saruopods are sleeping

Riojasaurus and Lessemosaurus are very large for their time period,Riojasaurus was 10 meters in length and weighed 3 Tons,Lessemosaurus was smaller at around 7 Meters in length,but most dinosaurs of the time were less than 3 Meters in length.

We see a Riojasaurus standing up on its hind legs and look out.

Normally these creatures are on their hindlimbs and forelimbs,but when scouting they stand on their 2 hind limbs.

The Riojasaurus hears rustling and starts acting cautions,we get closeups of teeth and limbs,this looks like a Fasolasuchus,the creature jumps out of the clearing.

Not to worry,a small creature like this Riojasuchus isn’t a threat to Riojasaurus.

However there is still danger.A group of Powellvenator creep around to the back of the herd.

Powellvenator was far to tiny to prey on adult Prosauropods,babies are fair game though.

The Powellvenator show of their agility by effortlessly jumping over the adults and sliding through like snakes,one has its side to the camera and it cuts to day.The camera shows about 4 or 5 of the Powellvenator eating a baby Riojasaurus.

This lose of life isn’t something to mourn about for them,the sauropods couldn’t do anything.Right now their more focused on their migration to the south.The lush jungle will be much hotter in the summer and they need to cool off.

The Riojasaurus and Lessemosaurus walk along while a family of Zupaysaurus lay in the shade next to them.

These Zupaysaurus will follow the herd,but there are thousands of them,they can spare time.

The Mom and dad try to sleep but their 3 kids play fighting and playing with rocks

This playing will help them later on when their adults hunting.

Then the kids have a fun idea and start attacking the herd and the herd runs,they nearly get run over but then Mom and Dad save them.Oh yeah and Mom bites them multiple times.The time skips a week and now the animals are in the desert,the Zupaysaurus are following them but they aren’t doing great,the Zupaysaurus are barely surviving.

This young Riojasuchus can only survive then for an hour.

Then the camera pans over to a Fasolasuchus eating a dead Lessemosaurus.Then the Fasolasuchus scents then Zupays and goes doom mode and fricking runs straight through the herd,but the idiot gets tossed around by the running herd and he breaks one of his legs.The Zupays see it but their to close to run,but one fo the da babies sees his broken leg.

Normally they would try to escape,but an injured Fasolasuchus is easier to deal with

Then an epic fight happens and the Fasolasuchus ends after the Dad Zupaysaurus rips his throat out.

They now have a food source.

That’s the end of part 1,I’ll post part two maybe next week

Pings

@Savage Almond

@Nizaluddin

@The dragnor

@SpinozillaAegypticus

@Kelbeam (Inspiration)

Also the next part will have a SECRET TUNNELLLLLLLLLLLLLL also I like to imagine the Fire Nation Theme from Avatar plays whenever Fasolasuchus enters the battle

Part 3 dicycnodonts