Arthronyx therion

“Joint-claw beast”
Previous    |    Next


A massive herbivore as tall as a giraffe, A. therion is named for its strange front legs. What appears to be claws jutting out of its wrist are the result of eight digits stacked on top of each other - the joint below the claws actually being a part of the lower fingers. It was able to rear up onto its back legs and use its front legs like arms thanks to great rotation in its shoulders. This was likely for raking through plant material or fending off predators. Its massive body allowed it to take advantage of many tough to digest plants. Evidence of reproductive habits have been found in this species - it was discovered that the creature would lay eggs onto its rear body segment (the ‘caudalis’) where they would gestate. Also present on the caudalis are barnacle-like parasites, which metabolise the creature’s own bone to form their shells.


More from “The Fossils on Mars”:

©2024 Seth Statham