AboutDavid Prus Expertise I can answer any general questions about dinosaurs and on prehistoric mammals in the Cenozoic. I also know a bit about the media's various depictions of dinosaurs and their inaccuracies. I don't know much about "microfauna"-small animals, or about Paleozoic besides some knowledge about Permian animals. Plants are right out, I'm afraid.
Experience I have been interested in dinosaurs for most of my life, own a large collection of scientific papers and books on the subject, and am a member of the Field Museum in Chicago.
Education/Credentials I am in college, but studied biology and geology both in high school and as a personal effort.
Question Thank you for answering my past questions:
1)Can you tell what would happen if the following animals were introduced in these environments:
Postosuchus-Yellowstone Park.
Inostrancevia-Temperate Russian Forests.
Shansisuchus-Mongolian Desert.
Erythrosuchus-African Savannah.
Arthropleura-Mainland Europe.
2)Which prehistoric solitary predator is theorized to have hunted the biggest preys in relation to its own body size??
Thank you again.
Answer Postosuchus-it would certainly suffer under the colder temperatures like a lion in Sweden. I can't imagine it lasting very long, as the prey animals are much faster and would be outcompeted by the more versatile bears and the pack hunting wolves. It wouldn't be able to adapt to it.
Inostrancevia-Same problem. Given time, it could adapt with its high metabolism, but the same problems with the wolves and fast prey would undo it.
Shansisuchus-There's not enough large prey for it. I suppose it could hunt domestic camels and sheep, but the herders would fill it full of arrows and bullets. Gazelles and horses are too fast for it, and the wolves are always there to give it a hard time.
Erythrosuchus-The only one with a chance. With plenty of large prey around, it could feed on rhinos, hippos and young elephants. The climate would sustain it, and it could easily steal kills from the other predators. However, it is a solitary predator in a land of pack hunters, and would be a rarer species
Arthropleura -would die quickly in the cold, dry climate and low oxygen.
2. Hard to tell, but I would think that the Allosaurs and Abelisaurs would be among them for their sauropod prey and joined by Homotherium and Smilodon, which hunted mammoths and giant sloths. This is assuming any of these animals were solitary.
