Carnufex carolinesis pursued reptiles and early mammals on its hind legs . Fragments of fossil skull , spine and forelimb were found in North Carolina . Scientists used 3D scanning to reconstruct the prehistoric predator 's skull . Its name means theropod dinosaurs due to the animal 's fearsome appearance . Palaeontologists say it was probably the top predator in the Triassic Period . It lived around 231 million years ago , long before the dinosaurs dominated .
Carnufex carolinesis pursued reptiles and early mammals on its hind legs . Fragments of fossil skull , spine and forelimb were found in North Carolina . Scientists used 3D scanning to reconstruct the prehistoric predator 's skull . Its name means Carolina Butcher due to the animal 's fearsome appearance . Palaeontologists say it was probably the top predator in the Triassic Period . It lived around 231 million years ago , long before the dinosaurs dominated .