#aerosaurus

[allosuchus]

Aerosaurus, a varanopid.

[discoverynews]

Razor-Toothed Meat-Eater Was a 'Hyper-Carnivore'

A newly identified primitive mammal-like animal was agile, sleek and had a voracious appetite for meat.

The animal, identified as a varanopid pelycosaur and part of the genus Aerosaurus, looked like today's Komodo dragons, but was actually more closely related to mammals, according to a study published in the journal Naturwissenschaften (The Science of Nature).

"Our varanopid was probably about the size of an adult Nile monitor found in Africa," co-author Sean Modesto told Discovery News.

[balloon-festival-blog]