I admit I am not quite clear on why Brian Switek felt it was keen to post about the ancient pre-dinosaurian mammal-like synapsids at tor.com, but hey! It’s a great post!
Anyway, linking to the synapsid post gives us a break from BLACK DOG-related news, probably a good thing.
My favorite is Inostrancevia, which I can totally see why it was used as the inspiration for a villain on Primeval, something I did not know until now. Now I kind of want to go watch a few episodes of Primeval.
Go on and click through. It will make today’s mammals look so . . . normal, in comparison. Though of course that is just familiarity. Don’t you think a rhino would fit right in with these distant, distant relatives?
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I’m glad you enjoyed the post, Rachel! The background is that I was having a chat with someone on Twitter a few weeks ago about how fossil mammals and their ancestors don’t get the same attention that dinosaurs do. Seeing that, Tor asked me to write a pair of lists about my favorite fossil beasts. I know it’s not in the normal vein of the scifi and fantasy on the site, but they’re so weird that I’m hoping they help inspire writers in need of unusual creatures. Watch for a follow-up post on fossil mammals from after the dinosaurs soon.
I think the big guy with the tiny little head is perfect for inspiration, except who would believe it?
I’ve always been partial to Archaeotherium. Don’t ask me why. A cow-sized pig is just kind of neat. Ah, they knew how to make mammals in those days!