Creature information | |
Scientific name : | Inostrancevia alexandri |
Time period : | Late Permian period |
Primary diet : | Carnivore |
In the series | |
Fatalities caused : | 0 (at least what is seen in the documentary) |
Appearances : | Evolution's Winners |
Inostrancevia was a genus of gorgonopsid which lived during the late Permian period before the devastating mass extinction preceding the beginning of the Triassic period.
Facts
Inostrancevia was a type of gorgonopsid. Gorgonopsids belong to a group of reptiles with mammalian similarities, appropriately named "mammal-like reptiles". Some of these animals laid eggs but when their young hatched, they would suckle their mother for milk. Inostrancevia is no different.
Inostrancevia was an apex predator. This animal hunted big game using their large sabre teeth. These teeth are remarkably similar to those of the more recent group of animals called the "sabre-toothed cats". These teeth were most likely used to puncture its prey's trachea, preventing it from breathing. Like those of sabre-toothed cats, Inostrancevia's canine teeth were probably also very fragile and would use their incisors to cut flesh off a carcass.
Inostrancevia measured 3.5 metres (11.5 ft) in length. This easily makes it the largest gorgonopsid (discounting Leogorgon as only a few fragments of this animals have been discovered). Inostrancevia was a slender animal with long legs.
In Dinosaur Revolution
Evolution's Winners
An Inostrancevia was walking in the barren, dark, Permian landscape, almost stepping on a cockroach. Lava fragments where being thrown in the background. He walked to another Inostrancevia, only it was dead. Furthermore, a third Inosctrancevia was feeding on the second one, hinting that the apocalipse has begun and that little food was around, so they resorted to cannibalism.
They roared at each other, threatening over food, until a lava fragment hits the carcass and run away, but the cannibal Inostrancevia is hit by a fragment, and is killed by it. The hungry Inostrancevia survives and leaps onto a big rock before the entire ground breaks apart and lava bubbles up. It goes to the edge of the cliff like rock, and rests, roaring and watching as it's own world came to an end. But it dies when lava bursts up and touches it, turning him to ash quickly.
Gallery
This is a small selection of images from the massive gallery page for Inostrancevia. To the full collection of images, see here!
Trivia
- Inostrancevia is the only Paleozoic vertebrate to appear in Dinosaur Revolution.