Probably one of the most successful video game franchises in recent years, Monster Hunter has always been a series that has captured the imagination of many people with its fantastical yet realistic creatures. From the scary Vaal Hazak to the goofy...
Throughout history, Theropods have taken on an array of unique body plans: from tiny song birds to massive Carcharodontosauridaes, the variety seen in this clade is truly astonishing. Even after the devastating K-T extinction which wiped out most of the non-avian dinosaurs, the surviving members still managed to bounce back and conquer the globe once again.
Although the Avis class has become the most dominant and derived Theropod group in the last few million years, the non-avian dinosaurs have also diversified. Originally, these ancient survivors were relegated to small members of the Troodontidae family in Southeast Asia; however, as soon as the Earth recovered from the K-T extinction, these animals quickly evolved and became the Neokyngós.
The first of the Neokyngós were the Neoraptors, small to medium size creatures which kept the general design of their ancestors. Then came the Neotyrannids who evolved large bodies, powerful jaws, and incredible abilities. Lastly were the Capucaudids, a family of truly massive and bizarre beasts.
At first, Capucaudids were best known for their enormous heads and tails; however, as they continued to diversify, these features started to become even more exaggerated, with some today supporting massive horns or huge clubs. Despite the occasionally deadly appearance of these tools, most of them are used for defense, foraging, or display purposes, rather than weapons for taking down prey.
Another thing which separates this family from their relatives is their diet as most Capucaudids prefer to feed on things that don't put up much of a fight, like vegetation, carrion, invertebrates, and very small vertebrates, rather than hunt larger animals. But most doesn't mean all, and there is one notable exception to this general rule.
In the Drakensberg mountains of Southern Africa, one species of Capucaudid has become the region's apex predator. However, it's not just its diet which is different; unlike any other Neokyngós outside the Neoraptor family, Brachydios obsidianensis has long, usable arms.
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Standing 3.6 meters long and 2.1 meters tall, these animals may not be the largest Neokyngós, but they more than make up for it in raw power. Translated as "obsidian arm god", the name Brachydios perfectly describes these animals, as most of their muscles are concentrated within and around their forelimbs, giving these appendages unbelievable strength.
Brachydioses need this immense strength for multiple reasons, one of them being to help take down prey. Due to having a relatively weak bite force, these Theropods use their muscular arms to beat their victims to death, breaking bones, and rupturing international organs in the process. Even a single punch in the right spot can sometimes be enough to secure meals; however, it's not just muscles which makes the impact so dangerous.
The forelimbs of these animals have a lot of fast-twitch fibers, allowing them to move their limbs in explosive bursts of speed. In addition to this, Brachydios arms have large, solid masses of keratin covering their forearms called pounders which act like built-in knuckledusters. When the species' raw strength is combined with the acceleration of the fast-twitch fibers and the solid mass of their biological battering rams, they can generate enough power to snap an eland's femur.
