Australosyodon

Australosyodon
Life picture of Australosyodon nyaphuli
Temporal occurrence
Capitanium ( Middle Perm )
266 to 260 million years
Locations
South Africa ( Karoo Main Basin , Beaufort Group)
Systematics
Synapsids (Synapsida) Therapsids (Therapsida) Dinocephalia Anteosauridae Syodontidae Australosyodon
Scientific name
Australosyodon
Rubidge , 1994
Art
Australosyodon nyaphuli Rubidge, 1994

Australosyodon is an extinct genus of primitive therapsids ("mammal-like reptiles") in the Middle Permian of South Africa.

Closely related to the genus syodon from the Russian Ischejewo -Fauna provides australosyodon the earliest discovery of a representative of the anteosauriden dinocephalia outside of Russia . The fossils of australosyodon originate from the Eodicynodon -Assemblage zone, the lowest rock bank of the South African Beaufort group and has the existence of early, primitive therapsids in the southern hemisphere . The first description was published by Bruce S. Rubidge in 1994.

description

Australosyodon was a medium-sized dinocephalian. The skull was tall and narrow and measured 26 centimeters, which suggests a height of about 1.80 meters. The top of the skull showed a thickening, as it was typical for the Dinocephalians. Overall, the skull was very similar to that of Syodon , but differed slightly in terms of the shape and extent of the pachyostosis (bone thickening).

The fangs were flattened on the sides and had a sharp edge pointing backwards and towards the center. The shape, number and arrangement of the teeth are features that differ from those found in Syodon .

classification

Australosyodon is considered a very primitive anteosaurid dinocephalian and the first known representative of this group from the southern hemisphere. Like Syodon , Australosyodon did not yet have the thickenings on the lower jaw that are typical for the more derived forms of the Anteosaurs such as Anteosaurus or Titanophoneus . The two closely related genera Australosyodon and Syodon are therefore combined to form the subfamily Syodontinae .

Anteosauria	Microsyodon     Archaeosyodon      Syodontinae  Notosyodon     Australosyodon     Syodon     Anteosaurinae (e.g. Anteosaurus )

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Bruce S. Rubidge: Australosyodon . The first primitive Anteosaurid Dinocephalian from the Upper Permian of Gondwana, in: Palaeontology 37 (3): p. 579-594. (PDF; 2.0 MB)
2. ^ Christian Kammerer: Systematics of the Anteosauria (Therapsida: Dinocephalia) In: Journal of Systematic Palaeontology , 2010