Criocephalosaurus
Name:
Criocephalosaurus.
Phonetic: Cry-o-sef-a-low-sore-us.
Named By: C. F. Kammerer & C. A.
Sidor - 2002.
Synonyms: Criocephalus vanderbyli.
Classification: Chordata, Synapsida,
Therapsida, Dinocephalia, Tapinocephalidae.
Species: C. vanderbyli
(type), C. gunyankaensis.
Diet: Herbivore.
Size: Between 2.5 to 3 meters long.
Known locations: South Africa.
Time period: Permian.
Fossil representation: Skulls of many individuals.
A
relative of the genus Moschops,
Criocephalosaurus
was a
tapniocephalid dinocephalian therapsid that lived in South Africa
during the Permian. As with relative genera, Criocephalosaurus
is
noted for having a skull that grew extremely thick on top, perhaps
as a form of display or as something used in head pushing contests
with rivals.
Criocephalosaurus
was originally named as Criocephalus in 1928 by
Robert Broom,
however this name was later realised to have already been used to name
a beetle, so the name was changed to Criocephalosaurus
in 2002
to avoid confusion.
Further reading
- Replacement names for the therapsid genera Criocephalus
Broom
1928 and Olivieria Brink 1965. -
Palaeontologia Africana
38: 71–72. - C. F. Kammerer & C. A. Sidor
-
2002.
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