Palæos:		Unit 400: Therapsida
The Vertebrates		800: Theriodontia: Gorgonopsia

Therapsida: Theriodontia: Gorgonopsia

SYNAPSIDA
|
Therapsida
|--Biarmosuchia
`--+--Dinocephalia
   |  |--Anteosauria
   |  `--Tapinocephalia
   `--+--Anomodontia
      |  |--Venyukovioidea
      |  `--Dicynodontia   
      `--Theriodontia
         |--Gorgonopsia
         `--Eutheriodontia 
            |--Therocephalia
            `--CYNODONTIA

Taxa on This Page

1. Gorgonopsia X

The Gorgonopsia

Inostrancevia alexandri, a bear-sized Gorgonopsian, from the Late Permian (middle Wuchiapingian to Changhsingian) of equatorial Pangeia (now, Russian Urals). Image from Mathematical com

page under construction...

I have decided to divide the Theriodontia page into several subpages to give better coverage to the various theriodont groups. The present page will be the main Therocephalia page. In the meantime, until all the appropriate links are revised, see the following:

Original Theriodontia page relocated here

Therocephalia relocated here

Sorry for any inconvenience!

MAK09111

Gorgonopsia: Lycaenops. 

Range: Middle Permian to Late Permian of South Africa & Russia. 

Phylogeny: Theriodontia: Eutheriodontia + *.

Characters: Dog-sized, dog-like dominant carnivores of upP, with large fangs and flat heads; lightly built; skull similar to biarmosuchids, but longer and more massive; neomorphic medial preparietal at intersection of parietals and frontals; preparietal does not participate in pineal foramen [RS01]; orbits relatively small; jugal lacking postorbital process [RS01]; adductor chamber enlarged; quadrate without suture to squamosal [RS01]; quadrate bound to pterygoid & stapes[RS01]; articular slid sideways when jaw was opened [RS01]; vomer broad anteriorly, tapering rapidly posteriorly [RS01]; vomer with 3 parallel ridges with lateral ridges parallelling choanal margin [RS01]; palatines with extensive medial contact, separating vomers from pterygoids [RS01]; reflected lamina with attached dorsal margin, bearing distinctive ridge system [RS01]; long, blade-like serrated maxillary fangs; post-canine teeth fairly small and reduced number; teeth articulated?; no regular wear facets (no oral processing of food) [RS01]; forelimb posture still sprawling; femur similar to crocs & capable of either sprawling or parasagittal ("high walk") motion; pedal phalangeal count 23453; believed to be possibly endothermic, but only recovered skin fragment lacks hair. 

Links: Introduction to the Gorgonopsia; National Geographic Magazine (nice gorgonopsid skull); Gorgonopsia Paleontology and Geology Glossary: G; New Scientist | Disaster: Meltdown (PT extinction generally); First complete fossil... ; permian image page; Life-size model of Scymnognathus parrangtoni v. Huene; Dinosaurs and other Italian reptiles - Tridimont (I don't know who this sculptor is, but he's a genius); Lapidarium; Early Mammal-like Reptiles.

References: Rubidge & Sidor (2001) [RS01]. ATW020220

checked ATW030505; last modified MAK091111