Probably one of the most successful video game franchises in recent years, Monster Hunter has always been a series that has captured the imagination of many people with its fantastical yet realistic creatures. From the scary Vaal Hazak to the goofy...
During the Permian period, the Earth was ruled by non-mammalian Synapsids which came in a variety of shapes, sizes, and abilities. Some were robust and powerfully built predators, capable of killing with a single bite, while others were large herbivores with bizarre head designs. There were small burrowers, sail-backed oddities, and even arboreal critters.
Consisting of two clades, Caseasauria and Eupelycosauria, these proto-mammals enjoyed millions of years of success. However, around 251 million years ago the Permian extinction nearly wiped out all Synapsids, along with many other species of fauna and flora.
It took approximately 3 million years for the Earth to recover from the most devastating mass extinction in history, and when it did, the world now belonged to the Sauropsids. These new rulers would quickly diversify, thrive, and outcompete most of the remaining proto-mammals, forcing every kind of Synapsids into hiding.
But when an asteroid smashed into Earth about 66 million years ago, the balance of power was shifted back in the Synapsids' favor, with Mammals soon becoming the breakout stars of this new world. However, the Sauropsids weren't going to lose their crown without a fight, and to this day, both types of Amniotes continue to battle for top spot.
For the most part, this war is set between the new arrivals; however, there are some old warriors too. Despite being much less widespread than they used to be, there are still some families of proto-mammals left, and one of them are the Skýlosávras.
After hiding for millions of years, this family of Therocephalians has recently emerged from the shadows and has become very successful. The most recent addition to the Skýlosávras, as well as the most successful, are the Lunagarons, howling Neotherapsids who can switch between bipedal and quadrupedal stances.
By becoming bigger, mimicking the body plans of true Mammals, and evolving some truly chilling abilities, Lunagarons have managed to spread throughout most of Eurasia. But not all Skýlosávras have taken this same route to become successful. In the Pacific Northwest, Koukouvamati savras, 1.2 meter long proto-mammals, have evolved to become pack hunters who overwhelm their prey with numbers and teamwork.
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Known as Shamos by the local Mountain Grimalkyne tribes, these predominantly nocturnal predators differ from their relatives and ancestors in two key ways. The first is that they lack the suborder's iconic elongated fangs which most of the members have, instead opting for a mouth full of small, backwards-facing, needle-like teeth. Despite not having particularly powerful jaws, Shamos can open their mouth incredibly wide, allowing them to sink their teeth over a wider surface. Because of this and their backwards pointing fangs, it's harder for opponents to throw them off once they've bitten down. Even if their targets manage to dislodge them, the shapes of their dentition ensures that chunks of flesh will be ripped out in the process.
When taking down smaller animals, such as opossums and raccoons, their jaws are all that's needed to make a successful kill. However, when it comes to larger animals, such as deer and young elks, they'll also deploy their claws to rip and potentially even gut open their prey. Due to their lanky build, teamwork is essential for Shamos packs to take down animals larger than themselves. By using their numbers and agility, they'll attempt to separate and surround their targets.
