CultureAugust 8, 2026
hypercarnivorous
HY-per-kar-nih-vuh-ruhs
Definition
Describing an animal with a diet consisting of at least 70% meat.
Etymology
Derived from the Greek prefix 'hyper-' (over/excess) and the Latin 'carnivorus' (flesh-eating). It entered scientific terminology to precisely classify species based on their primary food source.
In the news
The term is used to categorize dinosaurs that possessed specialized dental or digestive adaptations for processing high-protein animal flesh. It highlights the evolutionary pressure these creatures faced to efficiently derive energy from prey.
Dinosaurs evolved very strange and unique strategies for digesting food and absorbing nutrients
Read the full article ↗Earth.com