Australosyodon
| Australosyodon | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Synapsida |
| Clade: | Therapsida |
| Suborder: | †Dinocephalia |
| Family: | †Anteosauridae |
| Genus: | †Australosyodon Rubidge, 1994 |
| Species: | †A. nyaphuli
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| Binomial name | |
| †Australosyodon nyaphuli Rubidge, 1994
| |
Australosyodon is an extinct genus of
The genus is closely related to the genus
Description
Australosyodon was a medium-sized dinocephalian. The skull was high and narrow, with a length of 26 cm, indicating a total body length of approximately 1.8 m (6 ft).[3] The top of the skull displayed the thickening typical of dinocephalians. Overall there are many similarities to the skull of Syodon, although some minor differences in shape and in the extent of pachyostosis are present. The fangs were laterally compressed and featured a rearward-facing central cutting edge. Shape, number and arrangement of teeth are among the characteristics that allow distinguishing Australosyodon from Syodon.[2]
Classification
Australosyodon is regarded as a very primitive anteosaurid dinocephalian and as first known representative of that group in the southern hemisphere. Like Syodon, Australosyodon lacked the features typical for the more apomorphic members of the anteosauridae, e.g. the boss on the lower mandible found in Anteosaurus or Titanophoneus. These two closely related genera have therefore been combined into a subgenus Syodontinae.[4]
Australosyodon in a cladogram after Cisneros et al. (2012):[5]
| Therapsida |
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See also
References
- ^ "Palaeontologists find South America's oldest predator".
- ^ a b Bruce S. Rubidge (1994). "Australosyodon. The first primitive Anteosaurid Dinocephalian from the Upper Permian of Gondwana" (PDF). Palaeontology. 37 (3): 579–594. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-16.
- ^ "Australosyodon".
- .
- PMID 22307615.