Razana

Paleoartistic restoration of the head of Razanandrongobe sakalavae. Unlike extant crocodilians, this terrestrial predator had a deep skull. Credit: Fabio Manucci.

One can only imagine just how scary Jurassic Madagascar's Razanandrongobe sakalavae must have been when hunting as seen by the Razana reconstructions seen above and below of a heretofore unknown apex predator able to move at tremendous speed as  its legs were positioned straight and erect under their bodies, allowing them to gallop and sprint after prey in a decidedly athletic, uncrocodile-like manner. Notosuchians like Razana also had elevated skulls, making them look more Velociraptor and less pancake-headed swamp monster. Notosuchians were fierce predators that ranged all over Gondwana during the last half of the Mesozoic Era, but the new findings demonstrate that none of these souped-up crocs were quite as formidable as the monster from Madagascar.

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Razanandrongobe had a head as big as a washing machine, which evolution had outfitted with a battery of serrated, banana-sized teeth. These chompers were resilient and rugged enough, the researchers contend, that ol’ Razana might have been able to pulverize and gobble down bone and tendon along with its prey’s fleshy bits. This fearsome machinery, once attached to the standard, track-and-field star chassis of a notosuchian, likely made Razana the biggest and baddest predator of its ecosystem.

Seems the age of dinosaurs was dangerville to the max without question. Click here to get scientific information further detailing why Razana was so fearsome a predator.