Anteosaurus (meaning “Antaeus reptile”) is an extinct genus of large carnivorous synapsids. It lived during the Capitanian epoch of the Middle Permian (266-260 million years ago) in what is now South Africa.
Like the well-known Moschops, they were dinocephalians, a clade of large-bodied therapsids that flourished from 270 to 260 million years ago and then went extinct without descendants.
Paleontologists surmise that Anteosaurus hunted rather like crocodiles, pulling land animals into the water. The long tail, weak limbs, and sprawling posture do indeed suggest some sort of crocodile-like existence.
Its body was well-suited to projecting itself forward, both in hunting and evidently in head-butting.
Anteosaurus had a tall, narrow skull, which is 80 centimeters (31 in) long.
It was perhaps the largest known carnivorous non-mammalian synapsid, estimated at 5–6 m (16–20 ft) in length and 500 to 600 kg (1,100 to 1,300 lb) in weight.
The teeth are another identifying characteristic of Anteosaurus. The teeth on the roof of the mouth are enlarged and confined in a cluster near the outer tooth row. The "normal teeth" include the anterior, canine and cheek teeth.
However, the thickened skull-roof indicates that these animals were quite able to get about on land if they were to practice the typically dinocephalian head-butting behavior.
Perhaps these animals spent some time in the water but were active on land during the mating season, and probably quite able to get about on land to hunt for prey.
Anteosaurus like other related therapsids had a thickened skull (pachyostosis), and this has been suggested as an adaptation for head butting, or perhaps more aptly for head pushing.
Anteosaurus went extinct some 260 million years ago without having any descendants.
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