Cyonosaurus

Sy-on-o-sore-us.
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Cassidy Wood

Paleoentomologist

Cassidy Wood uncovers the tiny yet significant world of prehistoric insects. Her research on amber-preserved specimens has revealed intricate details about ancient ecosystems.

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Name

Cyonosaurus ‭(‬Dog lizard‭)‬.

Phonetic

Sy-on-o-sore-us.

Named By

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Synapsida,‭ ‬Therapsida,‭ ‬Theriodontia,‭ ‬Gorgonopsia.

Diet

Carnivore.

Species

C.‭ ‬longiceps‭

Size

Depending upon species,‭ ‬between‭ ‬60‭ ‬and‭ ‬110‭ ‬centimetres in length.

Known locations

South Africa.

Time Period

Wuchiapingian of the Permian.

Fossil representation

Skulls.

In Depth

       Cyonosaurus is a genus of gorgonopsid that lived in South Africa during the late Permian.‭ ‬As a gorgnopsid,‭ ‬Cyonosaurus would have been a predator of other animals,‭ ‬smaller to equal in size in its self.‭ ‬Smaller species of Cyonosaurus with skulls about nine centimetres long grew to about sixty centimetres in length,‭ ‬while larger species with skulls about eighteen centimetres long reached lengths of just over a meter.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬The cranial morphology of a new gorgonopsian.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Journal of Geology,‭ ‬v.‭ ‬65,‭ ‬n.‭ ‬5,‭ ‬p.‭ ‬511-527.-‭ ‬E.‭ ‬C.‭ ‬Olsen‭ ‬-‭ ‬1937. ‭- ‬Phylogeny and evolution of the Gorgonopsia with a special reference to the skull and skeleton of GPIT/RE/7113‭ (‘‬Aelurognathus‭?’ ‬parringtoni‭) [‬Ph.D.‭ ‬Thesis‭] ‬-‭ ‬E.‭ ‬V.‭ ‬I.‭ ‬Gebauer‭ ‬-‭ ‬2007.

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