Placerias

Pronunciation: Plass-eer-ee-as

Geological Layer: Upper Triassic

Baramin: Dicynodonts?

Habitat: Triassic Floodplains

Era: Pre-Flood-Post-Flood, 6,000-? years ago

Pre-Fall Diet: Plants

Post-Fall Diet: Plants

Length: 11 ft.

Height: 4 ft. (at the shoulder)

Weight: 1 ton

Description:

As a Triassic reptile, Placerias was one of the largest plant eaters in its environment. It is part of a great infraorder of creatures known as dicynodonts. It had a barrel-like body, pillar-like legs and a powerful and compact neck. This animal is also known for its short but sharp pair of tusks that were used for defense or inter-specific display.

History:

Over 40 Placerias individuals were discovered in a site discovered in 1930. The site is known as the “Placerias Quarry” and is located near St. Johns, which is southeast of the Petrified Forest of Arizona. Placerias was discovered in 1904.

Taxonomy:

Placerias, despite its appearance, is not a dinosaur, but a dicynodont or mammal-like reptile (even though this creature was unrelated to mammals in every way). Dicynodonts are probably this creature's baramin. It is a close relative of the larger Ischigualastia from South America.

Paleobiology:

Based on its body-build, Placerias might have lived somewhat like a hippo, but possibly more land-bound. It is presumed that herds of these animals lounged in the water and/or roamed across the Triassic landscape using their tusks to dig up roots and using their beaks to eat any other vegetation that looked appetizing. God designed their beaks for snapping through thick branches of low-growing plants. The tusks would have also been useful in fighting amongst other Placerias – perhaps two males would use them to fight over a female – and to defend themselves against predators. Because of their large size, not much would attack a full-grown Placerias, but they weren't invincible; it's likely that these reptiles were preyed upon by packs of carnivorous theropod dinosaurs such as Coelophysis and the large carnivorous archosaur, Postosuchus.

This photo portrays a phytosaur (right) attacking Placerias (left).

Placerias made its home in the Triassic floodplains of the southeastern portion of the U.S. Many of its fossils have been discovered in Arizona.

Extinction:

Being a land animal, a male and female pair of Placerias (or one of Placerias' relations) went aboard Noah's Ark 4,350 years ago before Noah's Flood wiped the earth clean of every air-breathing terrestrial creature and all the humans except Noah and his family. Placerias went extinct either due to environmental stress and/or human interference (e.g. hunting and/or habitat disturbance) soon after the Flood. Since there don't appear to be many (if any), dragon legends involving creatures similar to Placerias, it is likely that they beat the dinosaurs to extinction, as dinosaur-like creatures appear in numerous dragon legends.

Popular Culture:

Placerias has made its appearance in the first episode of the BBC series Walking with Dinosaurs (1999). In the documentary, this reptile is depicted as living in large herds and are often stalked by a female Postosuchus; in one instance, she successfully brings one down. Later in the show, the Postosuchus becomes wounded by the tusks of a Placerias.

Image Gallery:

A herd of Placerias wallowing in the water.

 

A herd of Placerias wondering the Triassic landscape.