Nochnitsa

Nok-nit-sah.
Published on

Emily Green

Paleobotanist

Emily Green brings the ancient world of plants to life through her insightful research and engaging writing. Her expertise lies in examining how prehistoric vegetation influenced climate patterns and animal evolution.

Cite Feedback Print

Name

Nochnitsa ‭(‬named after the Nocnitsa from Slavic mythology‭)‬.

Phonetic

Nok-nit-sah.

Named By

C.‭ ‬F.‭ ‬Kammerer‭ & ‬V.‭ ‬Masyutin‭ ‬-‭ ‬2018.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Therapsida,‭ ‬Gorgonopsia.

Diet

Carnivore.

Species

N.‭ ‬geminidens‭

Size

Skull‭ ‬8.2‭ ‬centimetres long.

Known locations

Russia,‭ ‬Urpalov Formation.

Time Period

Permian.

Fossil representation

Skull and partial post cranial remains.

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.‭ ‬and Viatkogorgon‭) ‬from the Permian Kotelnich locality of Russia.‭ ‬-‭ ‬PeerJ‭ ‬6:e4954.‭ ‬-‭ ‬C.‭ ‬F.‭ ‬Kammerer‭ & ‬V.‭ ‬Masyutin‭ ‬-‭ ‬2018.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT