I mean, we're talking about the oldest race of fiends here, and they all possess features of Cretaceous animals. Esp. the bearnaloths (goats? Come on!)
Where's my cynodont, armored predatory fish, trilobite, and labyrinthodont (missing link species bet. fish and amphibians)Yugoloths? Heck, where are my 'loths with dinosaur features? You'd think these creatures would dominate the 'loth designs on the Gray Waste, since the 'loths there represent resistance to sociological change.
Yes, yes, I know what you're going to say-- maybe such creatures changed form or died out as the creatures they mirrored became extinct on most primes. Or that their modern forms are due to belief (I find this idea nonsensical in the case of the Baernaloths, since they are not worshipped, and also, IMHO, belief only changes the forms of yet-unborn outsiders, not the ones already in existence)
So, I think what we really need are some Yugoloth lords with throwback features. (I'm sure the General of Gehenna, un less he has chosen to permanently change his form, appears in his natural form as a Cambrian explosion-period vertebrate-- maybe even something like a combination of uber-grotesque hagfish and other throwback features. Of course, I object to the idea of depicting the General of Gehenna visually-- the mystery and intrigue behind the character is half the point.)
I like the idea of yugoloths with the features of ancient critters such as trilobites.
That said, I figure they have "modern animal" features due to Belief, as you said. For example, since jackals tend to have an unpleasant reputation when humans think about them, arcanaloths have those features. Basically yugoloths have those features due to their symbolic meaning/value.
(I would also add that you would think that many fiends, especially smarter/older/more advanced ones, would be very consciously interested in symbolism, for its effect on mortals as well as its intrinsic supernatural value.)
BoGr Guide to Missile Combat:
1) Equip a bow or crossbow.
2) Roll a natural 1 on d20.
3) ?????
4) Profit!