Reptile · GBIF taxon 4817831
Inostrancevia alexandri
Inostrancevia alexandriInostrancevia alexandri stood as the apex terrestrial predator of Late Permian Pangea, wielding dagger-like canine teeth up to 15 centimeters long to pierce thick-skinned herbivores. Its semi-erect limb posture enabled powerful, sudden lunges across river floodplains, bridging the anatomical transition between sprawling basal synapsids and true mammals. The species vanished alongside roughly 90 percent of life on Earth during the catastrophic end-Permian extinction event.
PrehistoricCarnivoreFossil
Licensed referenceWikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
—observations
—countries
—peak records
ExtinctConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXExtinctRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Scutosaurus karpinskii
- Vivaxosaurus trautscholdi
- Dvinosaurus primus
ThreatsEnd-Permian mass extinction, volcanic activity, and global climate collapse
HabitatsLate Permian river basins, floodplains, and riparian woodlands
Life spanEstimated 20–30 years
Classification
- FamilyGorgonopidae
- GenusInostrancevia
- SpeciesInostrancevia alexandri
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskHigh
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is high
- Extinct taxon known only from Late Permian fossil remains.
Responsible observation
- Museum Display: Observe authentic mounted skeletons at Moscow's Paleontological Institute.
- Fossil Recognition: Identify by massive, flattened saber canines and a heavy, narrow skull.
Prey Jonathan Chen / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
Same Family Robert Broom / Public domain · cc0
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