Question 1

How do you say Metoposaurus?

Accepted Answer

You say it like this: meh-TOP-oh-SOR-us. Break it into four chunks and stress the second and fourth parts: meh-TOP-oh-SOR-us. A good memory trick is to think 'met a top-notch dinosaur': meh-TOP-oh-SOR-us. The 'saurus' at the end is the same as in all those other dinosaur names, so once you nail the front half you are good to go. Practice it three times fast and it will stick.

Question 2

What does Metoposaurus mean?

Accepted Answer

The name Metoposaurus means roughly 'front lizard' or 'forward-faced lizard,' built from the Greek words for 'in front,' 'face or eye,' and 'lizard.' It is a direct reference to the fact that Metoposaurus had its eye sockets positioned unusually far forward on its enormous flat skull, which made it stand out from its relatives. The German paleontologist Friedrich von Huene chose this name in 1932 when he formally described the genus. So the name is basically a scientific note saying: look at where the eyes are on this thing.

Question 3

Was Metoposaurus a dinosaur?

Accepted Answer

Nope, Metoposaurus was not a dinosaur at all. It was a temnospondyl, which is a type of ancient amphibian-like creature, more closely related to modern frogs and salamanders than to any dinosaur. Temnospondyls were a hugely successful group that existed for hundreds of millions of years, and Metoposaurus was one of the last and largest members of the group. It did live at the same time as some of the earliest dinosaurs, though, so they absolutely would have encountered each other at the water's edge.

Question 4

How big was Metoposaurus?

Accepted Answer

Metoposaurus grew to around 2 meters long, roughly 6 to 7 feet, which is about the length of a large adult human lying flat. However, the most striking measurement is the skull, which could be nearly 60 cm (2 feet) wide, almost as wide as a school desk. Despite that massive head, the body was relatively small and the limbs were tiny and weak. Think of it as almost all head and jaws, with a stubby body trailing behind.

Question 5

What did Metoposaurus eat?

Accepted Answer

Metoposaurus was a carnivore that mostly ate fish. Its wide, flat jaws were lined with rows of needle-sharp teeth that curved inward, making it nearly impossible for a fish to wriggle free once grabbed. It was almost certainly an ambush predator, lying motionless on the bottom of a shallow lake or river and then lunging upward when prey swam overhead. Given its weak limbs, it probably did not chase anything very far, relying entirely on surprise and a fast snap of those enormous jaws.

Question 6

Why did so many Metoposaurus die together?

Accepted Answer

Paleontologists have found huge mass-grave sites called bonebeds where hundreds of Metoposaurus individuals died in the same place at the same time. The leading explanation is drought. During the Late Triassic, the climate was hot and highly seasonal, and lakes would shrink dramatically during dry periods. As the water levels dropped, Metoposaurus from a wide area would crowd into the last remaining pools, and when those dried up entirely, everything in them died at once. The famous bonebed at Krasiejow in Poland is one of the best examples of this phenomenon anywhere in the world.

Question 7

Where did Metoposaurus live?

Accepted Answer

Metoposaurus fossils have been found in Germany, Italy, Poland, and Portugal, all of which were part of the supercontinent Pangaea during the Late Triassic period. At that time, these areas formed a region of river systems, lakes, and seasonal wetlands in a hot, semi-arid landscape. Metoposaurus stuck close to the water because its tiny limbs made life on land very difficult. The most spectacular fossil site is at Krasiejow in southern Poland, which has produced hundreds of specimens and is now a major paleontological museum.

Question 8

Did anything eat Metoposaurus?

Accepted Answer

Almost certainly yes, especially the younger and smaller individuals. Large predatory archosaurs like phytosaurs, which were crocodile-like hunters that lived in the same rivers and lakes, would have been potential predators of juvenile Metoposaurus. Large rauisuchians, powerful quadrupedal predators of the Triassic, could also have attacked Metoposaurus on the rare occasions it was out of water. Adult Metoposaurus, with its huge snapping jaws and thick skull, was probably a dangerous target and may have had few natural enemies once it reached full size.

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