This ancient reptile had a deadly vegetarian diet
An illustration of the rhynchosaur Bentonyx from the Middle Triassic of Devon, about 245 million years ago. Mark Witton On this fossil Friday, we’d like you to meet the rhynchosaur. This ancient reptile is a distant relative of crocodiles and modern birds, roaming through present day North and South America, Europe, Africa, Madagascar, and India between 250 to 225 million years ago. It belongs to a group of roughly sheep-sized ancient reptiles that thrived during the Triassic Period. The Triassic is known for its hot climate and abundance of vegetation. [Related: This tiger-sized, saber-toothed, rhino-skinned predator thrived before the ‘Great Dying.’] A study published June 8 in the journal Palaeontology describes a handful of rhynchosaur specimens found in Devon in southwestern England. Researchers used CT scanning to see how their teeth wore down...