Procolophon

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Procolophon
Temporal range: Early Triassic
↓
Procolophon pricei from the Early Triassic of South Africa
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: †Parareptilia
Order: †Procolophonomorpha
Family: †Procolophonidae
Subfamily: †Procolophoninae
Genus: †Procolophon
Owen 1876
Type species
Procolophon trigoniceps
Owen 1876
Species
  • P. trigoniceps Owen 1876 (type)
Synonyms[1]
  • Procolophon minor Owen, 1876
  • Procolophon griersoni Seeley, 1878
  • Procolophon cuneiceps Seeley, 1878
  • Procolophon laticeps Seeley, 1878
  • Procolophon platyrhinus Seeley, 1905
  • Procolophon sphenorhinus Seeley, 1905
  • Procolophon baini Broom, 1905
  • Procolophonoides baini Ivachnenko, 1979
  • Procolophon pricei Lavina, 1983
  • Procolophon brasiliensis Cisneros & Schultz, 2002

Procolophon (from Greek: πρό pró, 'before' and Greek: κολοφών kolophṓn, 'summit')[2] is a genus of lizard-like procolophonid parareptiles that first appeared in the Early Triassic (Induan) of South Africa, Brazil, and Antarctica. It persisted through the Permian–Triassic extinction event, but went extinct in the beginning of the Early Middle Triassic. The type species is P. trigoniceps.[3]

History of discovery

The first Procolophon fossil was discovered in the 1870s in Donnybrook, an area southwest of Pietermaritzburg in present-day Kwa-Zulu Natal of South Africa. The fossil was accessioned to Harry Seeley, who described the fossil in 1878.[4] Numerous other fossils have been recovered since from localities across the Eastern Cape and Free State provinces of South Africa.[5][6][7][8]

Description

Fossil

Procolophon reached a length up to 30 centimetres (12 in), and is considered to have been a small herbivore or insectivore. The skull of Procolophon is distinct because of its latero-posteriorly facing paired cheek spikes, along with spiked dermal ossicles. Paleontologists debate the function of the cheek spikes. Some paleontologists posit that the bony protrusions were points for muscle attachments. Procolophon also had large eyes, and may have had acute night vision. Its teeth were peg-like and suitable for crushing plant matter. The front of the skull was short and blunt with the nasal opening very close to the mouth.[9][10]

Classification

Procolophon is a

sister-taxon relationship with Tichvinskia, a procolophonid from the lower Triassic of Russia.[11]

The

phylogenetic analysis by Modesto and Damiani (2007) in which Procolophon is defined in polytomy with Thelerpeton and Leptopleuroninae:[12]

Procolophonoidea
Owenettidae

Owenetta rubidgei

Barasaurus

"Owenetta" kitchingorum

Candelaria

Procolophonidae

In their

phylogenetic analyses, Butler et al. (2023) defined Procolophon as a sister taxon to Teratophon and Thelerpeton or only to Teratophon within Procolophoninae. The results are shown in two cladograms below:[13]

Correlation

Procolophon occupied a wide geographic range. Fossils of the genus were found in the

sister taxa are also found in the lower Triassic (Induan) of Germany, North America, and Russia.[18][19]

References

  1. ISSN 0078-8554. Archived
    from the original on 2024-02-14.
  2. ^ Colbert, Edwin H. (Edwin Harris); Knight, Charles Robert (1951). The dinosaur book: the ruling reptiles and their relatives. New York: McGraw-Hill. p. 153.
  3. ^ Kemp, T. S. (1974). "The braincase and associated structures of the cotylosaur reptile Procolophon trigoniceps Owen". Annals of the South African Museum. 64: 11–26.
  4. S2CID 128830316
    .
  5. ^ GOW, CE (1977). "Tooth function and succession in the Triassic reptile Procolophon trigoniceps". Palaeontology. 20 (3): 695–704. INIST PASCALGEODEBRGM7820073449.
  6. doi:10.1139/e85-166
    .
  7. doi:10.4102/koedoe.v34i1.409
    .
  8. doi:10.1016/j.palwor.2008.06.003
    .
  9. doi:10.1139/e02-082
    .
  10. S2CID 84496551
    .
  11. ^ Ivakhnenko, M. F. (1973). "Skull structure in the Early Triassic procolophonian Tichvinskia vjatkensis". Paleontological Journal. 7: 511–518.
  12. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2007)27[337:TPRSAF]2.0.CO;2
    .
  13. PMID 37735997
    .
  14. doi:10.1139/e06-043
    .
  15. doi:10.1127/njgpm/2002/2002/641
    .
  16. doi:10.1127/0077-7749/2011/0124
    .
  17. S2CID 40597467
    .
  18. S2CID 14428420
    .
  19. S2CID 17669446
    .

External links
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Procolophon&oldid=1220629492"