Dinichthys terrelli
The terror of the sea
Dunkleosteus
Lived in the Devonian period in the Paleozoic era
About 360 to 380 million years ago
Found in present day Canada, the USA, Europe and Morocco.
About this powerful beast
The Dunkleosteus is the largest , strongest and the most terrifying predator of the seas that lived about 360 to 380 million years ago in the late, Devonian period in the Paleozoic era. This fish is known as a placoderm meaning that it has a bony shell. It has no real teeth but instead, it has bony plates extending from its jaw bone. Its’ bite has 1,100 pounds of force. It rivals the T-Rex. It was happy eating anything from sharks to other Dunkleosteus species.There were five Dunkleosteus species.It was very slow due to its armored skin but it was really powerful as a swimmer. It was one of the first animals to exist as a male or a female. Its fossils have been found in Canada, the USA, Europe and Morocco. It could grow up to twenty feet long weighing about four tons. It died out due to lack of oxygen and increase in CO2 and global cooling. A Dunkleosteus can be identified by its teeth which are used to crunch its prey with about 80,000 pounds of force per square inch. To eat , the Dunkleosteus would suck prey into its mouth or if the prey is too big , it would bite with high force. It was related to any placoderms which have all been extinct. If this fish was alive ,nothing would stand in its way , when it comes to survival.
Climatic conditions
The skull of this armored Placoderm
Size comparison
Works Cited
"Ancient Predator Had Strongest Bite of Any Fish, Rivaling Bite of Large Alligators and T. Rex." Ancient Predator Had Strongest Bite of Any Fish, Rivaling Bite of Large Alligators and T. Rex. Web. 11 Apr. 2014. <http://phys.org/news83960762.html>.
"Dunkleosteus." Dunkleosteus. Web. 11 Apr. 2014. <http://www.prehistoric-wildlife.com/species/d/dunkleosteus.html>.
"Late Devonian Mass Extinction." Natural History Museum. Web. 11 Apr. 2014. <http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/life/dinosaurs-other-extinct-creatures/mass-extinctions/late-devonian-mass-extinction/index.html>.
"Oops!" 404 Page Not Found. Web. 11 Apr. 2014. <http://www.mercyhurst.edu/mu-news/news/faculty-spotlight/2013/march/mckenzie%20excavates%20fossil%20of%20dunkleosteus>.
The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Dinichthys (paleontology)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/163875/Dinichthys>.