Deuterosaurus

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Deuterosaurus
Artist's impression of Deuterosaurus biarmicus
Temporal occurrence
Late Wordium to Capitanium
267 to 260.4 million years
Locations
Orenburg Oblast , Russia
Systematics
Synapsids (Synapsida) Therapsids (Therapsida) Dinocephalia Anteosauria Deuterosauridae Deuterosaurus
Scientific name
Deuterosaurus
Eichwald , 1860
species
Deuterosaurus biarmicus Eichwald, 1860 Deuterosaurus jubilaei Nopcsa , 1928

Deuterosaurus ( Greek "second lizard") is an extinct genus of early Therapsiden ("early mammalian relatives") from the group of Dinocephalia . The fossils aredatedto the Middle Permian ( Tatarium ) of Russia. Most of the finds come from Eastern Europe.

The first description of the genus deuterosaurus gave Karl Eichwald 1860. There are two valid species, deuterosaurus biarmicus and deuterosaurus Jubilaei .

Physique and ecology

Deuterosaurus is known to have both valid species from multiple skull finds and few postcranial elements. This genus of earlier Dinocephalia was characterized by a relatively short snout, which was already reinforced with the fangs characteristic of all anteosaurids . However, the animal's molars were relatively small and rounded, so that a herbivore or omnivore way of life similar to that of a modern grizzly bear can be concluded.

Reconstruction of the head of Deuterosaurus jubilaei

Like all representatives of the Dinocephalia, Deuterosaurus had a thickening of the skull roof , which was probably used for turf or mating fights. The thighbones of the Deuterosaurus , like those of most of the other early representatives of the Dinocephalia, were still very similar to those of the Sphenacodontia . Like these, Deuterosaurus also ran with its legs spread apart, with its tail swinging back and forth like modern reptiles .

Synonyms

There are a number of synonyms for both species of the genus Deuterosaurus .

Deuterosaurus biarmicus :

• Deuterosaurus mnemonialis (Eichwald, 1860)
• Eurosaurus verus (Eichwald, 1860)

Deuterosaurus jubilaei :

• Mnemeiosaurus jubilaei (Nopcsa, 1928)
• Uraniskosaurus watsoni (Nopcsa, 1928)

Deuterosaurus gigas is likely a Ulemosaurus . In earlier works was deuterosaurus incorrectly as dinosaurs of the Triassic classified.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Robert Lynn Carroll : Paleontology and Evolution of the Vertebrates. Thieme, Stuttgart 1993, ISBN 3-13774-401-6 .
2. ↑ Eichwald, CE: Lethaea Rossica ou paleontology de la Russie: v. 1st ancient period , Stuttgart 1860
3. ↑ Paleocritti: Deuterosaurus (accessed June 1, 2011)
4. ^ Huxley, TH (1869). "Triassic Dinosauria" Nature 1: 23-24.