If the painting in fact depicts a dicynodont, it would then predate the first formal scientific record of these animals by at least 10 years.

The San people acted as paleontologists and used fossil finds as a basis for stories and pictures.

In the rugged landscapes of South Africa, ancient rock art panels created by the San people—one of the region's earliest inhabitants—have long intrigued researchers. Among these works is a particularly enigmatic depiction found in the "Horned Serpent" panel,

Researchers say this 200-year-old South African cave painting likely depicts an animal that has been dead for over 200 million years.

A mysterious tusked animal depicted in South African rock art might portray an ancient species preserved as fossils in the same region, according to a study published September 18, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Julien Benoit of the University of the Witwatersrand,

Indigenous painting may portray a long extinct creature that appeared before the first dinosaurs, a study found.

By Stephen Beech via SWNS A mysterious tusked animal depicted in South African rock art may have been inspired by a long-extinct creature preserved as fossils in the region. The Horned Serpent panel is a section of rock wall featuring artwork of animals and other cultural elements associated with the local San people,

In the Karoo Basin of South Africa, an unusual tusked beast is painted on a rock wall. Archaeologists have previously pondered whether the artwork depicts a mythical creature from the realm of fantasy,