Procynosuchus
| Procynosuchus | ||||||||||||
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Live reconstruction of Procynosuchus delaharpeae from the Upper Permian of South Africa |
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| Temporal occurrence | ||||||||||||
| Middle to upper perm | ||||||||||||
| 270 to 251 million years | ||||||||||||
| Locations | ||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Procynosuchus | ||||||||||||
| Broom , 1937 |
Procynosuchus ( Greek "pre-dog crocodile") is a genus of original therapsids within the cynodontia . Fossils of this “mammal-like reptile” were found in the Middle and Upper Permian (270 to 251 mya ) in South Africa , Zambia and in the Korbach Column in North Hesse(“Korbacher Dachshund”). The Procynosuchus is sometimes called the "Korbacher Dachshund" because it has very short legs that are reminiscent of a dachshund .
Procynosuchus was about 60 centimeters long and, in contrast to other therapsids, had adaptations to aquatic life, in particular an exceptionally flexible rear body with a laterally flattened tail, which probably allowed swimming similar to that of crocodiles or otters . It is therefore assumed that Procynosuchus, similar to these animals, lived semi-aquatic life and ate fish or other aquatic animals.
swell
- Douglas Palmer: Dinosaurs & Prehistoric Animals - An Illustrated Encyclopedia. Könemann, Cologne 2000. ISBN 3829061137 .
- TSKemp: The Primitive Cynodont Procynosuchus: Structure, Function and Evolution of the Postcranial Skeleton. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences, Vol. 288, No. 1027. (Jan. 7, 1980), pp. 217-258.
