In Depth Etjoia is a genus of traversodontid cynodont that lived in Africa during the Triassic. Like other traversodontids, Etjoia is expected to have been herbivorous. Further Reading - A new traversodontid cynodont with a peculiar postcanine dentition from the Middle/Late Triassic of Namibia and dental evolution in basal gomphodonts. - Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. … Read more
In Depth Nshimbodon is a genus of cynodont therapsid that lived in Africa during the late Permian. Further Reading - A basal nonmammaliaform cynodont from the Permian of Zambia and the origins of mammalian endocranial and postcranial anatomy. - Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology: e1827413. - Adam K. Huttenlocker & Christian A. Sidor - 2020.
In Depth Dubbed a ‘sabre-toothed anomodont’, Tiarajudens was a quadrupedal herbivore that possessed a pair of enlarged sabre-like canine teeth. Despite the presence of these teeth, Tiarajudens was almost certainly a herbivore since the incisors at the front of the mouth are spoon shaped and arranged for slicing plants while the rear teeth could mash … Read more
In Depth The type fossil of Bulbasaurus was originally assigned to the Tropidostoma genus of dicynodont, but later analysis revealed it to actually be distinct enough to warrant the creation of a new genus for it. The new genus name Bulbasaurus is a reference to the two boss (round bony growth) like growths of the … Read more
In Depth Australosyodon was a Permian era dinocephalian therapsid that seems to have been very similar to the genus Syodon from Russia, hence the name ‘southern Syodon’. Although only known from a skull, Australosyodon seems to have been a bit larger than its Russian namesake. The description of Australosyodon marked one of the first known … Read more
In Depth Ufudocyclops is a genus of dicynodont therapsid that lived in Southern Africa during the mid Triassic. Remains of several skulls of Ufudocyclops are known and these suggest that Ufudocyclops not only lacked tusks, but was completely toothless. Instead of teeth, Ufudocyclops seems to have had a large keratinous beak that was used to … Read more
In Depth Kataigidodon is a genus of cynodont that lived in North America during the Triassic. Further reading - A new non-mammalian eucynodont from the Chinle Formation (Triassic: Norian), and implications for the early Mesozoic equatorial cynodont record. - Biological Letters. - B. T. Kligman, A. D. Marsh, H. D. Sues & C. A. Sidor … Read more
In Depth Oudenodon is a genus of dincynodont therapsid from the late Permian that seems to have been quite generalised in its overall development. Further Reading - On some reptilian fossils from South Africa. - Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London 16(1):49-62. - Richard Owen - 1859. - An Interactive Approach to Distinguishing … Read more
In Depth With a skull a little over eight centimetres long Nochnitsa is one of the smallest known grogonopsian therapsids known. Whereas the larger gorgonopsids were apex predators, Nochnitsa may have lived more like a modern day fox, hunting smaller creatures while evading the more dangerous ones. Further Reading - Gorgonopsian therapsids (Nochnitsa gen. nov. … Read more
In Depth Anomocephalus is considered to be a very basal anomodont, and one observation more than any other proves this; Anomocephalus had a full set of teeth in both jaws. The dicynodont descendants of creatures like Anomocephalus would go on to have just two large tusks, and in a few cases, no teeth at all. … Read more