In Depth Suminia is an interesting little genus of anomodont therapsid that lived in Russia during the Permian. Though the mouth was full of sharp and proportionately large teeth, wear patterns upon the teeth themselves indicate that they were being repeatedly used to process plant material, meaning that Suminia was herbivorous. The holotype specimen of … Read more
In Depth Delectosaurus is a species of dicynodont that lived in Russia during the Permian. Further Reading - New Late Permian dicynodonts from the Vyazniki Assemblage of terrestrial tetrapods of Eastern Europe. - Paleontological Journal 35(1):53-59. - A. A. Kurkin - 2001.
In Depth Neotrirachodon is listed as a genus of gomphodont, cynodont therapsid that lived in Russia during the Permian. If this analysis is correct then Neotrirachodon is the first gomphosont cynodont to be discovered in Russia. Neotrirachodon was originally described as a species of Antecosuchus, and at times the genus has been considered by some … Read more
In Depth Cistecephalus could be dubbed the mole of the Permian. The small body was very stout with short limbs which sprawled out to the sides, not great for speed but very good at gripping the sides of a tunnel for traction. The forelimbs in particular show support for very powerful muscles, and were probably … Read more
In Depth Varanodon was a genus of pelycosaur that lived in the USA during the Permian period. Varanodon should not be confused with the similarly named Varanops and Varanosaurus, two other genera of closely related pelycosaurs. Further Reading - New Permian vertebrates from the Chickasha Formation in Oklahoma. Circular Oklahoma Geological Survey 70:1-70. - E. … Read more
In Depth Originally thought to be a diapsid reptile, Heleosaurus was later realised to be a varanopid pelycosaur. Heleosaurus would have been a predator of other small animals. Further Reading - On Some New Fossil Reptiles from the Karroo Beds of Victoria West, South Africa. Transactions of the South African Philosophical Society 18:31-42- Robert Broom … Read more
In Depth Charruodon is a genus of cynodont that lived in South America during the Triassic. Further Reading - A new therioherpetid cynodont from the Santa Maria Formation (middle Late Triassic), southern Brazil. - Geodiversitas 22 (4). - F. Abdala & A. M. Ribeiro - 2000.
In Depth As a cynodont Thrinaxodon was the result of the on-going evolution of mammal like reptiles that had can be traced all the way back to the early synapsids. Thrinaxodon however displays numerous features that place it much closer to mammals than its reptile origin would imply. The first and most evolutionary significant feature … Read more
In Depth Prosictodon is a genus of dicynodont that lived in South Africa during the Middle Permian. Further Reading - A new pylaecephalid dicynodont (Therapsida, Anomodontia) from the Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone, Karoo Basin, Middle Permian of South Africa. - Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 30 (5): 1396–1409. - Kenneth D. Angielczyk & Bruce S. Rubidge - … Read more
In Depth If Trucidocynodon could be notable for just one thing it would be size. At over a meter in length Trucidocynodon was positively huge for a cynodont as most of its relatives were rarely more than about half a meter. The large size growth of Trucidocynodon may have been a result of continuing divergence … Read more