Pachydectes

Pak-e-dek-teez.
Published on

Benjamin Gutierrez

Vertebrate Paleontologist

Benjamin Gutierrez is a leading expert on dinosaurs, particularly the mighty theropods. His fieldwork in South America has uncovered new species and provided insights into dinosaur social structures.

Cite Feedback Print

Name

Pachydectes ‭(‬Thick biter‭)‬.

Phonetic

Pak-e-dek-teez.

Named By

B.‭ ‬S.‭ ‬Rubidge,‭ ‬C.‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Sidor‭ & ‬S.‭ ‬P.‭ ‬Modesto‭ ‬-‭ ‬2006.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Synapsida,‭ ‬Therapsida,‭ ‬Biarmosuchia,‭ ‬Burnetiidae.

Diet

Carnivore.

Species

P.‭ ‬elsi‭

Size

Skull about‭ ‬35‭ ‬centimetres long,‭ ‬Total length roughly estimated at about‭ ‬2‭ ‬meters.

Known locations

South Africa‭ ‬-‭ ‬Koonap Formation.

Time Period

Wordian/Capitanian of the Permian.

Fossil representation

Partial skull.

In Depth

       Pachydectes was a primitive biarmosuchian therapsid that lived in South Africa during the mid-Permian.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬A new burnetiamorph‭ (‬Therapsida:‭ ‬Biarmosuchia‭) ‬from the Middle Permian of South Africa.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Journal of Paleontology‭ ‬80‭ (‬4‭)‬:‭ ‬740‭–‬749.‭ ‬-‭ ‬B.‭ ‬S.‭ ‬Rubidge,‭ ‬C.‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Sidor‭ & ‬S.‭ ‬P.‭ ‬Modesto‭ ‬-‭ ‬2006.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT