Palaeos		Therapsida
Vertebrates		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...

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