Although true dinosaurs are sadly absent from Ryl Madol, many similar-looking creatures have convergently evolved in their stead. Among them are the lycaenoraptors, of which Gorgoraptor pilosus is a member. Though bipedal and digitgrade like theropods, the saberteeth and faint hairs along the back show that these are in fact some kind of therapsid, descending from the likes of gorgonopsians, therocephalians or perhaps even cynodonts.
Using
their great sense of smell and decent eyesight, these
small-to-medium-sized predators opportunistically stalk the meadows and forests in search of prey. While its smaller relatives live in
packs, Gorgoraptor often hunts alone. When it captures prey like lystrodos,
it pins them down with its powerful legs and arms and deals the killing
blow by severing their windpipe with its characteristic saberteeth. It
itself can fall prey to the much larger Carptophoneus, the anteosaurid(?) "tiger" of the island, and of course the titanic Basilosuchus and Decarnodon, anamniote reptiliomorphs, the latter of which could give even large theropods like T. rex a run for their money.
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