More scary animals

Scary Animals - NOT Dinosaurs

Sabre-toothed theraspids dating from about 260 million years ago have been found in Western Russia, as reported HERE. 

Theraspids are usually described as protomammals and these ones, Gorynychus masyutinae and Nochnitsa geminidens, are headlined in the article as being "Monstrous". A suitably scary illustration is provided.

The newly discovered Gorynychus masyutinae, a top predator, hunting a tree-dwelling herbivore ( Matt Celeskey )

The article is based on THIS ACADEMIC PAPER which is much less exciting. And the paper concerns the description of Nochnitsa and Viatkogorgon, NOT Gorynychus masyutinae. Gorynychus masyutinae is described in THIS PAPER.

But that is nit-picking. Most theraspids have been found in South Africa and the Russian specimens are valuable in showing what was happening in the Northern Hemisphere. 

The End-Permian mass extinction killed off many of the theraspids.

Right marginal dentition of Nochnitsa gemenidens
(A) close-up of holotype, KPM 310, with (B) interpretive drawing. Abbreviations: C, upper canine; I, upper incisor; PC, upper postcanine; pc, lower postcanine; rC, replacement upper canine. Scale bar equals 1 cm. Photograph and drawing by Christian F. Kammerer.