Estemmenosuchus Pronunciation
Picture, name meaning, and how to say Estemmenosuchus. Free guide for kids and parents.
How to Pronounce Estemmenosuchus
es-TEM-en-oh-SOO-kus
ALL CAPS = stressed syllable
What does Estemmenosuchus mean?
crowned crocodile with horns on head
Name Roots
"estemmeno"
from Greek 'estemmenon', meaning crowned or wreathed
"suchus"
from Greek 'souchos', the crocodile god of ancient Egypt, used to mean crocodile-like
Fun Facts
- ✓Estemmenosuchus lived about 267 million years ago, roughly 35 million years before the first dinosaurs even appeared on Earth.
- ✓It could weigh up to 500 kilograms, roughly the size of a large black bear, making it one of the biggest land animals of its era.
- ✓Scientists found multiple skeletons together in the Perm region of Russia, suggesting these animals may have lived in groups or gathered near the same water source.
- ✓Two species were named separately for decades, E. uralensis and E. mirabilis, but researchers later realized that what they called Anoplosuchus and Zopherosuchus were actually just females of E. uralensis, meaning the 'horns' may have been a male display feature.
- ✓Estemmenosuchus belongs to a group called therapsids, the evolutionary line that eventually gave rise to every mammal alive today, including humans, making it one of your very distant ancestors.
