In Depth Although Hipposaurus possessed the large canine teeth also seen in other therapsid carnivores, it seems to have had a less robust skull construction. This means that large prey animals were probably completely off the menu for this Permian predator. Hipposaurus would still have been able to live off smaller prey, although it may … Read more
In Depth Lumkuia is a genus of cynodont that lived in South Africa during the Triassic. Further Reading - A probainognathian cynodont from South Africa and the phylogeney of nonmammalian cynodonts. - Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 156(1):5-35. - J. A. Hopson & J. W. Kitching - 2001.
In Depth Sinophoneus would have been one of the most dangerous predators in the mid Permian of China, something that has earned the genus its name which means ‘Chinese murderer’. The type species of Sinophoneus was based upon the description of a partial skull, not surprising when you consider that dinocephalian therapsids like Sinophoneus are … Read more
In Depth Irajatherium is a genus of cynodont that lived in South America during the Triassic. Further Reading - A new tritheledontid (Therapsida, Eucynodontia) from the Late Triassic of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) and its phylogenetic relationships among carnivorous non-mammalian eucynodonts. - Ameghiniana 42(1):191-208. - A. G. Martinelli, J. F. Bonaparte, C. L. Schultz … Read more
In Depth Mesenosaurus is a genus of varanopid pelycosaur that lived in Russia during the Permian. Further Reading - Some new Permian reptiles of the USSR. -Academy of Sciences URSS, C. R., 19: 121-126. - Efremov - 1938. - The skull of Mesenosaurus romeri, a small varanopseid (Synapsida: Eupelycosauria) from the Upper Permian of the … Read more
In Depth A relative of the much more famous Edaphosaurus, Gordodon is a genus of sailbacked pelycosaur that lived in North America during the early Permian. The appearance of Gordodon in the early Permian combined with the shape of the teeth which are rounded and formed in rows suggests that Gordodon was one of the … Read more
In Depth Phorcys is a genus of gorgonopsid therapsid that lived in South Africa during the Permian. When named, Phorcys was described from a partial skull that revealed much of the posterior section but none of the anterior. Nonetheless these skulsl could still be compared to better preserved specimens of relative gorgonopsid genera. This led … Read more
In Depth Emydops is a genus of small dicynodont that lived across South Africa to India during the Late Permian. One notable observation about the genus is that while some skulls have tusks, others actually lack them. Further Reading - A new species of Emydops (Synapsida, Anomodontia) and a discussion of dental variability and pathology … Read more
In Depth Macromerion is a genus of sphenacodont pelycosaur that lived in Europe during the Carboniferous. Further Reading - Lower Permian pelycosaurs from the English midlands. - Paleontology 17 (3): 541-552. - R. L. Paton - 1974.
In Depth Sycosaurus is a genus of gorgonopsid that lived in southern Africa during the late Permian period. As a gorgonopsid, Sycosaurus would have been a predator of other large vertebrates. Further Reading - On some Gorgonopsian skulls in the collection of the South African Museum. - Annals of the South African Museum, v. 12, … Read more