as small as a world and as large as alone

6:37am July 12, 2013

odditiesoflife:

The Ancient King of the Sea

Dunkleosteus could concentrate a force of up to 8,000 pounds (3,628 kg) per square inch at the tip of its mouth, effectively placing Dunkleosteus in the league of Tyrannosaurus rex and modern crocodiles as having the most powerful known bite. It was one of the earliest jawed fishes. Instead of actual teeth, Dunkleosteus possessed two long, bony blades that could slice through flesh and snap and crush bones.

Dunkleosteus was a large Placoderm that lived in the late Devonian period, about 380–360 million years ago. It grew up to 10 meters (33 feet) and was possibly the the size of a great white shark, making it most likely the top predator of its time.

The only remains of Dunkleosteus are it’s head armor pictured above.

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